"You know what black hatred women feel toward me as soon as they see me, until I return inside my shell, they use every possible weapon. As soon as a generous man tries to help me out, a woman is here to hold his arm and prevent him from acting"

Camille Claudel’s words convey a sense of profound alienation, reflecting her experience as a woman artist in a male-dominated society. She expresses feeling targeted by the disdain of other women, describing it as "black hatred" that she perceives immediately upon encountering them. The specific color symbolism, "black hatred", suggests a deep, encompassing negativity, possibly pointed at social or competitive enmity. Claudel’s description of retreating "inside my shell" alludes to a psychological defense mechanism, a withdrawal prompted by this perceived hostility. There’s an implication that her presence or ambition as a woman threatens established norms or expectations among her peers, especially among women, who, rather than supporting her, become adversarial.

The second part of her statement extends the theme of blockage and isolation. When "a generous man tries to help me out", she observes that a woman will "hold his arm and prevent him from acting". This scenario depicts not only personal rivalry but also a systemic problem: women themselves are complicit in sustaining a social order that stifles the advancement or emancipation of a peer. The image of a woman physically restraining a man from intervening is powerful, encapsulating a sense of betrayal or sabotage from those with whom she might expect solidarity. Claudel hints at the dynamics of jealousy, propriety, and perhaps the gender politics of her era, where any deviation from prescribed roles results in censure not just from men but from women as well.

Underlying these lines is a poignant frustration. Claudel recognizes not only the external barriers placed before her, by a patriarchal structure, but also the internal divisions among women. Instead of unity, there’s suspicion and competition, leading to a double isolation: from the men who hold power and from women who might have been allies. The passage reveals not just a personal grievance but a timeless observation about the complexities of gender relations and the loneliness that can accompany nonconformity.