Christmas eve Quote by Gustave Flaubert
““At other times, at the edge of a wood, especially at dusk, the trees themselves would assume strange shapes: sometimes they were arms rising heavenwards, , or else the trunk would twist and turn like a body being bent by the wind. At night, when I woke up and the moon and the stars were out, I would see in the sky things that filled me simultaneously with dread and longing. I remember that once, one Christmas Eve, I saw a great naked women, standing erect, with rolling eyes; she must have been a hundred feet high, but along she drifted, growing ever longer and ever thinner, and finally fell apart, each limb remaining separate, with the head floating away first as the rest of her body continued to waver””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Sentimental Education, 1869
The narrator’s night visions blend awe and terror, reflecting inner turmoil and the uncanny.
In simple terms: Dreams mix fear and wonder.
Key Takeaway
Explore how imagination reveals subconscious fears.
Themes
psychology
dreams
nature
the uncanny
Mood
melancholic
enigmatic
Type
literary
psychological
When to use this quote
- nighttime walks
- creative writing
- artistic inspiration
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
symbolism
subconscious
mythic archetypes
Questions to Reflect On
- What emotions arise when you confront the unknown?
- How do personal experiences shape your perception of strange visions?
A Different Perspective
Interpretations may vary; not all readers see the same symbolism.
