Growing stronger Quote by Enid Bagnold
““She watched him, thinking and dreaming, feeling life short, shiveringly short. And the bubble of wind within him forcing its way upwards as from a vase that has been too hastily filled, he would stir and snuffle, give a wandering pipe, open his eyes, while his face slowly flushed in anger and he prepared for his cry. Then the squire, growing stronger, with the definite hands of a well-accustomed mother, would lift him over her shoulder and pop his wind for him, the little bubble that had disturbed him coming up like a naughty spirit, and his head hanging helplessly goggling and staring with surprise over her shoulder, till such time as she laid him down for his final sleep and he was carried away.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh, 1948
A young man's fragile life is described through vivid, surreal imagery of struggle and eventual surrender.
In simple terms: Life is fragile and fleeting.
Key Takeaway
Accept vulnerability and seek compassion.
Themes
fragility
death
compassion
Mood
melancholic
reflective
Type
literary
poetic
When to use this quote
- grief counseling
- end‑of‑life care
- creative writing
- art therapy
Key Concepts
existentialism
surrealism
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we honor fragile lives?
- What comforts can we offer in moments of surrender?
A Different Perspective
The description may romanticize suffering, overlooking practical support.
