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He looked like a kid caught making an angel in the snow…

“He looked like a kid caught making an angel in the snow, except his glasses had been blown off and one of his hands was bleeding. He breathed heavily; his belly rose and fell. I knelt close. 'George?' A groan, a cough. 'It's too late. Leave me…Let me sleep…' I shook him firmly, slapped the side of…” quote by Jonathan Stroud
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““He looked like a kid caught making an angel in the snow, except his glasses had been blown off and one of his hands was bleeding. He breathed heavily; his belly rose and fell. I knelt close. 'George?' A groan, a cough. 'It's too late. Leave me…Let me sleep…' I shook him firmly, slapped the side of his face. 'George, you've got to wake up! George, *please.* Are you okay?' An eye opened. 'Ow. That cheek was the one part of me that *wasn't* sore.' 'Here, look - your glasses.' I scooped them out of the ash, put them on his chest.””

Jonathan Stroud

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Compassion can drive desperate actions that may harm others, revealing moral ambiguity.

In simple terms: Compassion can lead to harmful deeds.

Key Takeaway

Balance empathy with caution.

Themes

compassion morality conflict

Mood

tense empathetic

Type

narrative dramatic

When to use this quote

  • Emergency care
  • medical triage
  • personal crisis
  • ethical dilemmas

Key Concepts

Ethics psychology human behavior

Questions to Reflect On

  • When does helping become harmful?
  • How to act responsibly under pressure?
A Different Perspective

Urgent help may cause unintended injury.

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