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My sole consolation when I went upstairs for the night was…

“My sole consolation when I went upstairs for the night was that Mamma would come in and kiss me after I was in bed. But this good night lasted for so short a time, she went down again so soon, that the moment in which I heard her climb the stairs, and then caught the sound of her garden dress of…” quote by Marcel Proust
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““My sole consolation when I went upstairs for the night was that Mamma would come in and kiss me after I was in bed. But this good night lasted for so short a time, she went down again so soon, that the moment in which I heard her climb the stairs, and then caught the sound of her garden dress of blue muslin, from which hung little tassels of plaited straw, rustling along the double-doored corridor, was for me a moment of the utmost pain; for it heralded the moment which was to follow it, when she would have left me and gone downstairs again.””

Marcel Proust

About This Quote

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

The narrator experiences deep emotional pain anticipating a mother's departure, linking physical sounds to impending loss.

In simple terms: Hearing a mother leave causes intense sorrow.

Key Takeaway

Cherish moments before they pass.

Themes

family loss anticipation

Mood

melancholic introspective

Type

literary emotional

When to use this quote

  • parent-child moments
  • processing separation
  • writing about loss

Key Concepts

psychology of grief attachment theory

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does this memory shape your view of separation?
  • What rituals help cope with similar loss?
A Different Perspective

The focus on a single moment may overlook broader context.

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