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Children Quote by Guy de Maupassant

“There were some children round him playing in the dust on the paths. They had long fair hair, and with very earnest faces and solemn attention were making little mountains of sand so as to stamp on them and squash them underfoot. Pierre was going through one of those gloomy days when one looks…” quote by Guy de Maupassant
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““There were some children round him playing in the dust on the paths. They had long fair hair, and with very earnest faces and solemn attention were making little mountains of sand so as to stamp on them and squash them underfoot. Pierre was going through one of those gloomy days when one looks into every corner of one's soul and shakes out every crease. 'Our occupations are like the work of those kids,' he thought. Then he wondered whether after all the wisest course in life was not to beget two or three of these little useless beings and watch them grow with complacent curiosity. And he was touched by the desire to marry. You aren't so lost when you're not alone any more. At any rate you can hear somebody moving near you in times of worry and uncertainty, and it is something anyway to be able to say words of love to a woman when you are feeling down. He began thinking about women. His knowledge of them was very limited, as all he had had in the Latin Quarter was affairs of a fortnight or so, dropped when the month's money ran out and picked up again or replaced the following month. Yet kind, gentle, consoling creatures must exist. Hadn't his own mother brought sweet reasonableness and charm to his father's home? How he would have loved to meet a woman, a real woman! He leaped up, determined to go and pay a little visit to Mme Rosémilly. But he quickly sat down again. No, he didn't like that one!””

Guy de Maupassant

About This Quote

The narrator reflects on loneliness, the yearning for meaningful connection, and the fleeting nature of his past relationships, seeking deeper love.

In simple terms: Longing for authentic love amid emptiness.

Key Takeaway

Human connection heals existential solitude.

Themes

Loneliness Love Existential reflection

Mood

Melancholic Hopeful

Type

Literary Reflective

When to use this quote

  • Therapeutic counseling
  • Literary analysis
  • Personal journaling

Key Concepts

Human need for intimacy Search for purpose

Practical Applications

  • Engage in genuine conversations
  • Pursue relationships that align with values

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does 'real woman' symbolize for the narrator?
  • How can one cultivate meaningful connections without idealizing them?
A Different Perspective

Some may argue that self‑sufficiency can replace the need for romantic love.

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