"Jealousy is no more than feeling alone against smiling enemies"

Elizabeth Bowen’s words encapsulate the essence of jealousy as an emotion rooted deeply in isolation and insecurity. Jealousy isn’t simply the desire to possess what another has; it is the profound feeling of being set apart, excluded, and endangered by those who seem content, successful, or happy. The phrase conjures an image of an individual surrounded by adversaries who mask their true intentions behind cheerful facades, their smiles amplifying the sense of alienation.

Feeling alone transforms minor insecurities into powerful surges of envy and suspicion. The “smiling enemies” aren’t necessarily overtly hostile but, by appearing perfectly pleased, intensify the observer’s sense of inadequacy. The smile, usually a sign of friendliness, here becomes a subtle weapon, a reassurance for the others’ place within the social landscape, a place denied to the jealous onlooker. This dichotomy between inward loneliness and outward harmony sharpens the sting of jealousy.

Bowen suggests that jealousy is less about the object or person that inspires it and more about the emotional state of the individual experiencing it. The sensation of being surrounded by “enemies” may be exaggerated, the smiles misinterpreted due to the jealous person’s mindset. Perceiving others as enemies, even if they are merely indifferent or even kind, originates from the internal narrative woven by the isolated heart. The world seems to conspire against the jealous, while in reality, the struggle is internal: a battle between one’s own fears and the external perceptions of others’ happiness.

Ultimately, Bowen illuminates the isolating power of jealousy, where the true suffering comes not from others’ achievements but from one’s own sense of separation. The “smiling enemies” symbolize not real antagonists, but the imagined collective from which the jealous individual feels excluded, highlighting the profound loneliness that lies at jealousy’s core.