Why,' I said, quite surprised by my own eloquence in…
““Why,' I said, quite surprised by my own eloquence in inventing all this stuff, 'it happens every day. The old old story. Boys and girls fall in love, that is, they are driven mad and go blind and deaf and see each other not as human animals with comic noses and bandy legs and voices like frogs, but as angels so full of shining goodness that like hollow turnips with candles put into them, they seem miracles of beauty. And the next minute the candles shoot out sparks and burn their eyes. And they seem to each other like devils, full of spite and cruelty. And they will drive each other mad unless they have grown some imagination. Even enough to laugh.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Love transforms ordinary people into idealized beings, but also reveals harsh realities, requiring imagination and humor.
In simple terms: Love makes us see angels and devils.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate imagination to navigate love’s extremes.
Themes
love
imagination
duality
Mood
romantic
reflective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- novels
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
human nature
relationships
literature
Questions to Reflect On
- What fuels the shift from idealization to disillusion?
- How does humor help in love’s challenges?
A Different Perspective
It may oversimplify complex emotions.