Brown sugar Quote by Doris Lessing
““Oh, yes, Alice did know that she forgot things, but not how badly, or how often. When her mind started to dazzle and to puzzle, frantically trying to lay hold of something stable, then she always at once allowed herself -- as she did now -- to slide back into her childhood, where she dwelt pleasurably on some scene or other that she had smoothed and polished and painted over and over again with fresh colour until it was like walking into a story that began, 'Once upon a time there was a little girl called Alice, with her mother, Dorothy. One morning Alice was in the kitchen with Dorothy, who was making her favourite pudding, apple with cinnamon and brown sugar and sour cream, and little Alice said, 'Mummy, I am a good girl, aren't I?””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Golden Notebook, 1962
The excerpt illustrates Alice’s coping mechanism of retreating into nostalgic, imagined childhood scenes to manage mental overload and anxiety.
In simple terms: Alice escapes stress by imagining comforting childhood stories.
Key Takeaway
Use imagination to soothe mental strain.
Themes
psychology
memory
coping
nostalgia
fiction
Mood
introspective
empathetic
Type
psychological
literary
When to use this quote
- therapy sessions
- creative writing exercises
- mindfulness practices
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
mental health
narrative therapy
imagination
stress relief
Questions to Reflect On
- How can one balance imagination with reality?
- What healthy outlets replace escapism?
A Different Perspective
Overreliance on fantasy may hinder confronting real issues.
