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Cold wind Quote by J. Tonzelli

“He walked steadily, feeling them behind him. His stride did not falter; he pretended they weren’t there. He pretended that all was well—that those hideous things knew nothing about what he had done earlier in the night. But each pumpkin he passed nearly leapt off its porch or railing or wooden…” quote by J. Tonzelli
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““He walked steadily, feeling them behind him. His stride did not falter; he pretended they weren’t there. He pretended that all was well—that those hideous things knew nothing about what he had done earlier in the night. But each pumpkin he passed nearly leapt off its porch or railing or wooden chair, expanded and morphed and throbbed as if in a funhouse mirror, and joined the procession behind him. The wind picked up, suddenly and fiercely, and construction paper decorations adorning the houses that surrounded him flapped helplessly against their doors and windows. The man ducked against the cold wind, and from the pursuing army of the jack-o’-lanterns behind him. Cardboard skeletons with fastener joints and witches with shredded yarn hair and ghosts with cotton ball sheets and black crayon eyes escaped their thumbtacks and scotch tape and newspaper twine and they flashed and danced in his face. He brushed at them desperately with his hands, attempting to tear a hole through them and escape.””

J. Tonzelli

About This Quote

A man flees a surreal, nightmarish parade of Halloween decorations that seem alive and threatening.

In simple terms: He runs from animated Halloween figures.

Key Takeaway

Face fears, don’t run.

Themes

fear surrealism nightmare

Mood

eerie imaginative

Type

fictional symbolic

When to use this quote

  • Halloween parties
  • night walks
  • creative writing
  • dream analysis

Key Concepts

literature imagination symbolism

Questions to Reflect On

  • What personal fears appear as animated obstacles?
  • How do you confront overwhelming anxieties?
A Different Perspective

The scene may be metaphorical rather than literal.

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