Why’re you like that?” the boy persisted. “Like what?”…
““Why’re you like that?” the boy persisted. “Like what?” Paragon finally asked in annoyance. “Ya’know. Allus mad. Or crazy fightin’ Say’n stuff ta be mean.” “How else do you expect me to be?” Paragon retorted. “Joyous that they’ve dragged me out here? All excited to go off on a hare-brained rescue mission with them?” He felt the boy’s shrug. “Ya could be.” “I could be?” Paragon snorted. “I’d like to know how.” “S’easy. Ya decide t’be.” “You decide to be happy? I should just forget everything that has been done to me, and be happy? Tra-la-la-la? Like that.” “Ya could.” He heard the boy’s nails against his scalp. “Lookit me. I coulda hated everyone o’ ‘em. I decided t’be happy. Decided ta take what I could get. Make a life outer it.” A pause. “S’not like I’m gonna get another life. Gotta make this’n work.” “It’s not that simple,” Paragon snapped. “Could be,” Cliff insisted. “In’t no harder than decidin’t’be mad allus.” The boy sauntered away slowly. His bare feet scuffed lightly on the deck. “But it’s a lot funner,” he called back over his shoulder. p. 406: Clef to Paragon””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A character wrestles with the idea that happiness is a choice despite past trauma and external expectations.
In simple terms: Happiness can be chosen even after pain.
Key Takeaway
Choose agency over victimhood.
Themes
choice
agency
resilience
mental health
identity
Mood
reflective
hopeful
conflicted
Type
philosophical
conversational
When to use this quote
- recovering from trauma
- making life decisions
- seeking purpose
- overcoming nihilism
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology
self-determination
Questions to Reflect On
- What does it mean to choose happiness?
- Can you truly be happy without addressing past pain?
A Different Perspective
Choosing happiness may ignore systemic constraints and deeper emotional wounds.