“I must say a word about fear. It is life’s only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life. It is a clever, treacherous adversary, how well I know. It has no decency, respects no law or convention, shows no mercy. It goes for your weakest spot, which it finds with unnerving ease. It begins in your mind, always … so you must fight hard to express it. You must fight hard to shine the light of words upon it. Because if you don’t, if your fear becomes a wordless darkness that you avoid, perhaps even manage to forget, you open yourself to further attacks of fear because you never truly fought the opponent who defeated you.”
Quotes
Reading Between the Lines – ‘Heart of Darkness’
"We live in the flicker — may it last as long as the old earth keeps rolling! But darkness was here yesterday."
The quote is from Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness. This novella is a complex exploration of colonialism, human nature, and the darkness within the human soul.
In Heart of Darkness, the story is narrated by Charles Marlow, who recounts his journey up the Congo River to meet the enigmatic ivory trader, Mr. Kurtz. The novella delves into the brutality and moral ambiguity of European colonialism in Africa.
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Reading Between the Lines – ‘My Brilliant Friend’
“Children don’t know the meaning of yesterday, of the day before yesterday, or even of tomorrow, everything is this, now: the street is this, the doorway is this, the stairs are this, this is Mamma, this is Papa, this is the day, this the night.”
Elena Ferrante’s quote from “My Brilliant Friend” captures the essence of a child’s perception of time and the world around them. Ferrante delves into the consciousness of children, highlighting their innate immediacy and presence in the moment.
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Reading Between the Lines – ‘The Wasteland’
“April is the cruelest month, breeding
lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
memory and desire, stirring
dull roots with spring rain.”
This poem is from the opening lines of T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Waste Land,” first published in 1922. This poem is one of the most important works of modernist literature, known for its complex structure, rich symbolism, and fragmented narrative.
“The Waste Land” was written in the aftermath of World War I, a period marked by widespread disillusionment and a sense of cultural and spiritual crisis.
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Reading Between the Lines – ‘The Giver’
“The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It’s the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.”
In Lois Lowry’s dystopian novel “The Giver,” the protagonist, Jonas, lives in a seemingly perfect community where there is no pain, suffering, or emotional depth. Everything is controlled and regulated, from people’s emotions to the color of their surroundings.
Reading Between the Lines – ‘The Power Broker’
“Bob Moses had learned what was needed to make dreams become realities. He had learned the lesson of power.
And now he grabbed for power with both hands.
To free his hands for the grab, he shook impatiently from them the last crumbs of the principles with which he had entered public service and for which, during his years of idealism, he had fought só hard.”
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Reading Between the Lines ‘ 1Q84’
“It is not that the meaning cannot be explained. But there are certain meanings that are lost forever the moment they are explained in words.”
This quote comes from Haruki Murakami’s novel “1Q84“, a complex and surreal work that explores themes of reality, connection, and the nature of storytelling itself. To provide some context:
Haruki Murakami is a renowned Japanese author known for his unique blend of magical realism, surrealism, and introspective narratives. “1Q84” is one of his most ambitious works, a sprawling novel that interweaves multiple storylines and realities.
Reading Between the Lines – ‘1984’
“The choice for mankind lies between freedom and happiness and for the great bulk of mankind, happiness is better.”
This quote from George Orwell’s “1984” delves into the profound human desire for genuine connection and understanding.
In the novel, the protagonist, Winston Smith, lives in a society where the Party dictates every aspect of life, leaving little room for authentic relationships or personal expression. The oppressive regime forces people to conform and suppress their true selves, making it nearly impossible to forge real connections with others.
Reading Between the Lines – ‘Tao Te Ching’
“A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live.”
The quote is often attributed to Lao Tzu, the ancient Chinese philosopher and writer, considered the founder of Taoism. However, the authenticity of this attribution is debated, as it doesn’t appear directly in his main work, the Tao Te Ching. Regardless, the quote is rich in meaning and aligns well with Taoist philosophy.
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Reading Between the Lines – ‘Watchmen’
“Stood in firelight, sweltering. Bloodstain on chest like map of violent new continent. Felt cleansed. Felt dark planet turn under my feet and knew what cats know that makes them scream like babies in night.
Looked at sky through smoke heavy with human fat and God was not there. The cold, suffocating dark goes on forever and we are alone. Live our lives, lacking anything better to do. Devise reason later. Born from oblivion; bear children, hell-bound as ourselves, go into oblivion. There is nothing else.
Reading Between the Lines – ‘Death of a Salesman’
“I stopped in the middle of that building and I saw — the sky. I saw the things that I love in this world. The work and the food and time time to sit and smoke. And I looked at the pen and said to myself, what the hell am I grabbing this for? Why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be? What am I doing in an office, making a contemptuous, begging fool of myself, when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am! Why can’t I say that, Willy?
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Reading Between the Lines – ‘Animal Farm’
“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”
― George Orwell, Animal Farm
This quote comes from the final chapter of George Orwell’s novella “Animal Farm,” which was published in 1945. The story is an allegory for the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent Soviet Union under Stalin’s rule. In the novella, a group of farm animals overthrow their human owner and establish a society based on the principles of animalism, which promotes equality among all animals.
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