--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The spiral staircase suddenly narrows…" description: "\"“The spiral staircase suddenly narrows, swirls like a stream drying up. Can he still get through up there, or is he going to be crushed against the sid..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/816/georges-rodenbach-9570_darkness_the-spiral-staircase-suddenly-narrows-sw_918968.jpg" --- # The spiral staircase suddenly narrows, swirls like a… ![“The spiral staircase suddenly narrows, swirls like a stream drying up. Can he still get through up there, or is he going to be crushed against the sides? All at once the darkness increased. Borluut felt he had already climbed more than a hundred steps, but he had not thought to count. By now his…” quote by Georges Rodenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/816/georges-rodenbach-9570_darkness_the-spiral-staircase-suddenly-narrows-sw_918968.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/816/georges-rodenbach-9570_darkness_the-spiral-staircase-suddenly-narrows-sw_918968.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/816/georges-rodenbach-9570_darkness_the-spiral-staircase-suddenly-narrows-sw_918968.jpg) > ““The spiral staircase suddenly narrows, swirls like a stream drying up. Can he still get through up there, or is he going to be crushed against the sides? All at once the darkness increased. Borluut felt he had already climbed more than a hundred steps, but he had not thought to count. By now his pace had adjusted to a rhythmical tread, instinctively shortened to adapt to the stone steps. But plunging into impenetrable darkness disoriented his senses. Borluut no longer knew in which direction he was going, whether forwards or backwards, whether up or down. Unable to see himself, it was in vain that he tried to determine which way his steps were taking him. He had the feeling he was descending, making his way down a subterranean staircase, in a deep mine, far from the light of day, through motionless landscapes of coal, and that he was going to come to a lake...”” [Georges Rodenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-rodenbach/) ## 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 descends into darkness, losing orientation and certainty, symbolizing existential uncertainty and the fear of losing direction. **In simple terms:** Darkness clouds clarity and purpose. Key Takeaway Stay aware of your path despite uncertainty. Themes existential dread orientation darkness uncertainty journey Mood anxious reflective tense Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - exploring new ideas - making decisions under pressure - nighttime travel - mental health challenges Key Concepts psychology metaphor human condition Questions to Reflect On - What guides you when you cannot see the way? - How do you regain orientation after disorientation? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on routine can blind us to hidden dangers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Darkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) ## Related quotes > [“A chrome spiral staircase connects the main floor to the upper one. It reminds Prospect of a big strand of DNA. Once he's out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-okita/a-chrome-spiral-staircase-connects-the-main-floor-to-the-upper-one-it/) Dwight Okita > [“We wind our way up the spiral staircase and then down the long hallway that leads to his room. I feel almost like I’m…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-stokes/we-wind-our-way-up-the-spiral-staircase-and-then-down-the-long/) [Paula Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-stokes/) > [“Gregori moved immediately to the spiral staircase. He could feel her, knew unerringly the exact spot where she waited. He didn't need to scan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-feehan/gregori-moved-immediately-to-the-spiral-staircase-he-could-feel-her/) [Christine Feehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-feehan/) > [Many a man may look respectable, and yet be able to hide at will behind a spiral staircase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse-2/many-a-man-may-look-respectable-and-yet-be-able-to-hide-at-will/) [P. G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse-2/) > [“He is crooked enough to hide behind a spiral staircase.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey-margaret-ball/he-is-crooked-enough-to-hide-behind-a-spiral-staircase/) Anne McCaffrey & Margaret Ball > [“He is climbing the spiral staircase of the soul of Gormenghast, bound for some pinnacle of the itching fancy - some wild, invulnerable eyrie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mervyn-peake/he-is-climbing-the-spiral-staircase-of-the-soul-of-gormenghast-bound/) [Mervyn Peake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mervyn-peake/) > [“Thus the tower was both disease and cure. It rendered him unfit for the world and it remedied the hurts inflicted by the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-rodenbach/thus-the-tower-was-both-disease-and-cure-it-rendered-him-unfit-for/) [Georges Rodenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-rodenbach/) > [“Opposite is the old bell-tower of a church, all the more moving for being unfinished. What beauty there is in interrupted towers, which continue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-rodenbach/opposite-is-the-old-bell-tower-of-a-church-all-the-more-moving-for/) [Georges Rodenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-rodenbach/) > [“Gripped by a feverish urge to climb, he felt like running up the stone stairs. People often talk of the attraction of the abyss.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-rodenbach/gripped-by-a-feverish-urge-to-climb-he-felt-like-running-up-the-stone/) [Georges Rodenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-rodenbach/) > [Tower Bridge would make a cool house. I like the idea of living over the river.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-broad/tower-bridge-would-make-a-cool-house-i-like-the-idea-of-living-over/) [Stuart Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-broad/) > [Until the Nineteen-Eighties, when Deng Xiaoping designated the area as China's first special economic zone, Shenzhen had been a tiny fishing village. Suddenly, eleven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/until-the-nineteen-eighties-when-deng-xiaoping-designated-the-area-as/) [Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/) > [“It was darker in the tower than any place Devnee had ever been. The dark had textures, some velvet, some satin. The dark shifted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-b-cooney/it-was-darker-in-the-tower-than-any-place-devnee-had-ever-been-the/) [Caroline B. Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-b-cooney/) > [“We've been looking at the tower for so long we forgot it's made of blocks; we forgot it can be put back together in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hayes/we-ve-been-looking-at-the-tower-for-so-long-we-forgot-it-s-made-of/) [Christopher Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hayes/) > [“Be as a tower, that, firmly set, Shakes not its top for any blast that blows!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/be-as-a-tower-that-firmly-set-shakes-not-its-top-for-any-blast-that/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [When my main character in 'Heat' climbs the tower, the highest diving platform, hoping to resume competitive diving after an injury, I am there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cadnum/when-my-main-character-in-heat-climbs-the-tower-the-highest-diving/) [Michael Cadnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cadnum/) ## More by Georges Rodenbach > [“Mevr. Cadzand feared for her son who, with his responsive nature, as sensitive as a hothouse plant, was more exposed. Fortunately religion is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-rodenbach/mevr-cadzand-feared-for-her-son-who-with-his-responsive-nature-as/) [Georges Rodenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-rodenbach/) > [“A great melancholy was hanging in the air, giving their love a more languid, more tender feeling. It was like the love one feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-rodenbach/a-great-melancholy-was-hanging-in-the-air-giving-their-love-a-more/) [Georges Rodenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-rodenbach/) > [“Oh, the sudden change of perspective brought about by travel and absence! 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They, too, have their gargoyles, singular figures, exaggerated, dubious, set in high profile. They stand out from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-rodenbach/dead-towns-are-the-cathedrals-of-silence-they-too-have-their/) [Georges Rodenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-rodenbach/) > [“Is it not strange how quickly one can become detached from everything? How empty life appears when one is close to death!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-rodenbach/is-it-not-strange-how-quickly-one-can-become-detached-from-everything/) [Georges Rodenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-rodenbach/) > [“(We) fell out of love with life for having learnt too much of death. ("At School")”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-rodenbach/we-fell-out-of-love-with-life-for-having-learnt-too-much-of-death-at/) [Georges Rodenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-rodenbach/) > [“Does it not sometimes happen in life that our actions are solely for an enemy, so as to stand up to him, to confound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-rodenbach/does-it-not-sometimes-happen-in-life-that-our-actions-are-solely-for/) [Georges Rodenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-rodenbach/) > [“That is the way it is, we always fall in love because of a detail, a nuance. It is a marker we set up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-rodenbach/that-is-the-way-it-is-we-always-fall-in-love-because-of-a-detail-a/) [Georges Rodenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-rodenbach/) > [“In Bruges he had carried out a work which was anonymous and brought no glory, but was seen as admirable once it had been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-rodenbach/in-bruges-he-had-carried-out-a-work-which-was-anonymous-and-brought/) [Georges Rodenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-rodenbach/) > [“—that exquisite sensual pleasure of collectors, who are a tactile species—”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-rodenbach/that-exquisite-sensual-pleasure-of-collectors-who-are-a-tactile/) [Georges Rodenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-rodenbach/) > [“The widower reviewed his past in a sunless light which was intensified by the greyness of the November twilight, whilst the bells subtly impregnated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-rodenbach/the-widower-reviewed-his-past-in-a-sunless-light-which-was/) [Georges Rodenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-rodenbach/) [Explore all 70 Georges Rodenbach quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-rodenbach/) ## More Darkness quotes > [“Narrative cannot sustain formlessness any more than light can sustain darkness - it is the antithesis of formlessness, and so it can never truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/narrative-cannot-sustain-formlessness-any-more-than-light-can-sustain/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [“Wait here, wait here!" he cried and jumped up and began to run for help toward a cluster of lights he saw in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/wait-here-wait-here-he-cried-and-jumped-up-and-began-to-run-for-help/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [Strange - is it not? That of the myriads who Before us passed the door of Darkness through, Not one returns to tell us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/strange-is-it-not-that-of-the-myriads-who-before-us-passed-the-door/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [Clear moments are so short. There is much more darkness. More ocean than terra firma. More shadow than form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-zagajewski/clear-moments-are-so-short-there-is-much-more-darkness-more-ocean/) [Adam Zagajewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-zagajewski/) > [I even see the cinema itself as a woman, with its alternation of light and darkness, of appearing and disappearing images](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/i-even-see-the-cinema-itself-as-a-woman-with-its-alternation-of-light/) [Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/) > [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“I promise to respect and protect your aloneness, knowing that everything created must have its period of darkness: child and bulb, poem and personality.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/i-promise-to-respect-and-protect-your-aloneness-knowing-that/) [anne morrow lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [The beauty of darkness is how it lets you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/the-beauty-of-darkness-is-how-it-lets-you-see/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [“Even in darkness your lips taste of sunshine”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/even-in-darkness-your-lips-taste-of-sunshine/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) > [“Defy me not for gleam can only shine in my existence" said Darkness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/defy-me-not-for-gleam-can-only-shine-in-my-existence-said-darkness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“What does he look like? 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Do you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-gentile/twinking-tears-in-a-sea-of-black-soft-light-in-a-world-of-darkness/) Nicole Gentile [Browse all 8,219 Darkness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The spiral staircase suddenly narrows, swirls like a stream drying up. Can he still get through up there, or is he going to be crushed against the sides? All at once the darkness increased. Borluut felt he had already climbed more than a hundred steps, but he had not thought to count. By now his pace had adjusted to a rhythmical tread, instinctively shortened to adapt to the stone steps. But plunging into impenetrable darkness disoriented his senses. Borluut no longer knew in which direction he was going, whether forwards or backwards, whether up or down. Unable to see himself, it was in vain that he tried to determine which way his steps were taking him. 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