Or a mother might look at her child's cheek and ask him…
““Or a mother might look at her child's cheek and ask him: "What's that, a pimple?" and see the flesh puff out a little, split, open, and at the bottom of the split an eye, a laughing eye might appear. Or they might feel things gently brushing against their bodies, like the caresses of reeds to swimmers in a river. And they will realize that their clothing has become living things. And someone else might feel something scratching in his mouth. He goes to the mirror, opens his mouth: and his tongue is an enormous, live centipede, rubbing its legs together and scraping his palate. He'd like to spit it out, but the centipede is a part of him and he will have to tear it out with his own hands. And a crowd of things will appear for which people will have to find new names, stone eye, great three cornered arm, toe crutch, spider jaw.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The passage uses grotesque, surreal imagery to illustrate how ordinary perception can become alienated and transformed into strange, unsettling forms, revealing the fluid boundary between self and other.
In simple terms: Seeing everyday things can become bizarre and unsettling.
Key Takeaway
Embrace the strangeness to understand deeper identity.
Themes
existentialism
perception
alienation
surrealism
Mood
uneasy
thoughtful
curious
Type
literary
philosophical
surreal
When to use this quote
- creative writing
- psychotherapy
- art critique
- philosophical discussion
Key Concepts
ontological anxiety
body image
symbolic transformation
Questions to Reflect On
- How does surreal perception affect self‑knowledge?
- What does the centipede tongue symbolize?
A Different Perspective
The vividness may overwhelm and obscure practical relevance.