--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As he wrote, the candle in the window…" description: "\"“As he wrote, the candle in the window kept flickering, and despite his desk lamp the flickering distracted him. He sat back in the old wooden school c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fec/alice-sebold-999_making-mistakes_as-he-wrote-the-candle-in-the-window-kep_1401570.jpg" --- # As he wrote, the candle in the window kept flickering, and… ![“As he wrote, the candle in the window kept flickering, and despite his desk lamp the flickering distracted him. He sat back in the old wooden school chair he'd had since college and heard the reassuring squeak of the wood under him. At the firm he was failing to even register what was needed of…” quote by Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fec/alice-sebold-999_making-mistakes_as-he-wrote-the-candle-in-the-window-kep_1401570.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fec/alice-sebold-999_making-mistakes_as-he-wrote-the-candle-in-the-window-kep_1401570.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fec/alice-sebold-999_making-mistakes_as-he-wrote-the-candle-in-the-window-kep_1401570.jpg) > ““As he wrote, the candle in the window kept flickering, and despite his desk lamp the flickering distracted him. He sat back in the old wooden school chair he'd had since college and heard the reassuring squeak of the wood under him. At the firm he was failing to even register what was needed of him. Daily now he faced column after of column of meaningless numbers he was supposed to make square with company claims. He was making mistakes with a frequency that was frightening, and he feared, more than he had in the first days following my disappearance, that he would not be able to support his remaining children. ~pgs 135-136; Susie's father on death”” [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A man struggles with distraction and fear while trying to meet overwhelming work demands, worrying about providing for his children. **In simple terms:** He feels overwhelmed and scared of failing at work and caring for his family. Key Takeaway Prioritize focus and seek help to manage workload. Themes stress family work distraction fear Mood anxious overwhelmed determined Type advice reflective emotional When to use this quote - office tasks - financial pressure - parenting - mental health Key Concepts cognitive overload responsibility anxiety Questions to Reflect On - How can he reduce distractions at work? - What support systems can he rely on? 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J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [“Missing: A teenaged girl with lanky, blonde hair and a sunburst tattoo on her cheek. The holographic posters, brighter than day itself, lit up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-l-bernstein/missing-a-teenaged-girl-with-lanky-blonde-hair-and-a-sunburst-tattoo/) Amy L. Bernstein > [What if it turns out there really are witches and vampires and werewolves living right here alongside us? After all, what better disguise could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-lukyanenko/what-if-it-turns-out-there-really-are-witches-and-vampires-and/) [Sergei Lukyanenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-lukyanenko/) > [Fiction that isn't an author's personal adventure into the frightening or the unknown isn't worth writing for anything but money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/fiction-that-isn-t-an-author-s-personal-adventure-into-the/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [Death is frightening, and so is Eternal Life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/death-is-frightening-and-so-is-eternal-life/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [I understand that change is frightening for people, especially if there's nothing to go to. It's best to stay where you are. 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He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lambert/zam-watched-as-the-creature-began-to-fade-until-it-disappeared/) [Frank Lambert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lambert/) > [Everything we have developed over the last 100 years should be destroyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pentti-linkola/everything-we-have-developed-over-the-last-100-years-should-be/) [Pentti Linkola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pentti-linkola/) [Browse all 960 Frightening quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frightening/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As he wrote, the candle in the window kept flickering, and despite his desk lamp the flickering distracted him. He sat back in the old wooden school chair he'd had since college and heard the reassuring squeak of the wood under him. At the firm he was failing to even register what was needed of him. Daily now he faced column after of column of meaningless numbers he was supposed to make square with company claims. 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