Dreams Quote by David Grossman
““Only now, in rhythmic waves, was she struck by her stupidity, her blindness, her estheronautiness , and, above all, her longing, the insult of the power of her longing, and she knew very well that is was these shortcomings that had made her so eager to interweave in his story the threads of her secret dreams of candor and of painful, purifying honesty; of a generous togetherness in which everything was possible. For a moment, with all that had been spun and stabbed and defiled within her, her face took on the expression of a frightened, abandoned girl who lunges out to bite, who lives unimaginably close to the skin’s surface, ready to be drawn out like a final plan of retreat.””
About This Quote
The passage portrays a woman's painful self-awareness, linking her longing and perceived flaws to a desperate desire for honesty and connection, culminating in a vivid, almost animalistic image of vulnerability.
In simple terms: Self‑recognition of flaws and yearning
Key Takeaway
Longing drives raw honesty
Themes
self‑awareness
longing
vulnerability
psychological depth
Mood
intense
poetic
Type
literary excerpt
psychological portrait
When to use this quote
- character introspection
- narrative climax of emotional revelation
- psychological thriller scene
Key Concepts
inner conflict
desire for authenticity
Practical Applications
- literary analysis
- character study
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the metaphor of a 'frightened, abandoned girl' reveal about her psyche?
- How does longing become both a curse and a catalyst?
![“[She was] a creature full of eager, passionate longings for all that was beautiful and glad; thirsty for all knowledge; with an ear straining after dreamy music that died away and would not come near to her; with a blind unconscious yearning for something that would link together the wonderful…” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/705/george-eliot-84_beauty_she-was-a-creature-full-of-eager-passion_28960.jpg)
![“[About the main character approaching death in old age, observed by her husband . . .] He saw that she had already laid down a large portion of her life long ago. Piece by piece she had given it away as she wrestled with existence, as her self was absorbed as nourishment into his life and the life…” quote by Michael D. O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f03/michael-d-o-brien-17161_death_about-the-main-character-approaching-dea_284602.jpg)
