Tears Quote by Günter Grass
““What did the onion juice do? It did what the world and the sorrows of the world could not do: it brought forth a round, human tear. It made them cry. At last they could cry again. To cry properly, without restraint, to cry like mad. The tears flowed and washed everything away. The rain came. The dew. Oskar has a vision of floodgates opening. Of dams bursting in the spring floods. What is the name of that river that overflows every spring and the government does nothing to stop it?””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Tin Drum, 1959
The passage uses onion juice as a metaphor for a catalyst that finally allows people to express suppressed grief, leading to cleansing and renewal.
In simple terms: A catalyst finally lets people cry and cleanse themselves.
Key Takeaway
Allow suppressed emotions to surface for healing.
Themes
grief
cleansing
expression
renewal
Mood
somber
reflective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal trauma
- collective mourning
- social upheaval
- political protest
Key Concepts
catalyst
metaphor
emotional release
Questions to Reflect On
- What emotions have you been holding back?
- How can collective mourning lead to change?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may oversimplify complex social issues.
![“I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with [my wife] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and I just had such a strong reaction to the prayer. And I was really emotionally - I felt really grounded at that time. And so to be in this prayer and the imam is doing the prayer in…” quote by Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d31/mahershala-ali-6687_attention_i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with_3083.jpg)
