Fabre stood up. He placed his fingertips on d‘Anton’s…
““Fabre stood up. He placed his fingertips on d‘Anton’s temples. “Put your fingers here,” he said. “Feel the resonance. Put them here, and here.” He jabbed at d’Anton’s face: below the cheekbones, at the side of his jaw. “I’ll teach you like an actor,” he said. “This city is our stage.” Camille said: “Book of Ezekiel. ‘This city is the cauldron, and we the flesh’ ...” Fabre turned. “This stutter,” he said. “You don’t have to do it.” Camille put his hands over his eyes. “Leave me alone,” he said. “Even you.” Fabre’s face was incandescent. “Even you, I am going to teach.” He leapt forward, wrenched Camille upright in his chair. He took him by the shoulders and shook him. “You’re going to talk properly,” Fabre said. “Even if it kills one of us.” Camille put his hands protectively over his head. Fabre continued to perpetrate violence; d’Anton was too tired to intervene.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A mentor forces a student into harsh, physical training, equating the city to a stage and demanding perfect speech despite personal cost.
In simple terms: A teacher pushes a pupil through intense, violent lessons to perfect speech.
Key Takeaway
Accept that mastery may require uncomfortable methods.
Themes
power
control
violence
training
Mood
tense
dramatic
Type
dramatic
literary
When to use this quote
- military training
- acting class
- speech therapy
- authoritarian leadership
Key Concepts
authoritarianism
psychological manipulation
performance
Questions to Reflect On
- Is the end of perfect speech worth the means?
- How does power imbalance affect learning?
A Different Perspective
The method may cause lasting trauma and ethical concerns.