River Quote by John Irving
““As for the river, it just kept moving,as river do--as rivers do. Under the logs, the body of the young Canadian moved with the river, which jostled him to and fro--to and fro. If, at this moment in time Twisted River also appeared restless, even impatient, maybe the river itself wanted the boy's body to move on, too, move on, too.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The River's Edge, 1995
Life flows onward, even after tragedy, urging the dead to move on.
In simple terms: Life continues despite loss.
Key Takeaway
Embrace change and keep moving.
Themes
loss
river
continuity
Mood
melancholic
hopeful
Type
literary
inspirational
When to use this quote
- funeral rites
- personal healing
- storytelling
Key Concepts
existentialism
grief
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the river symbolize for you?
- How can we honor the dead while living?
A Different Perspective
Grief can stall progress for some.
![“Once there was a man who filmed his vacation./He went flying down the river in his boat/with his video camera to his eye, making/a moving picture of the moving river/...[At the end of his vacation,]/With a flick of the switch, there it would be./But he would not be in it. He would never be in it.” quote by Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5b1/wendell-berry-236_quote_once-there-was-a-man-who-filmed-his-vaca_880009.jpg)
![“JUST BECAUSE A BUNCH OF ATHEISTS ARE BETTER WRITERS THAN THE GUYS WHO WROTE THE BIBLE DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE THEM RIGHT!" [Owen Meany] said crossly. "LOOK AT THOSE WEIRDO TV MIRACLE-WORKERS--THEY'RE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO BELIEVE IN MAGIC! BUT THE REAL MIRACLES AREN'T ANYTHING YOU CAN…” quote by John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/70e/john-irving-337_atheists_just-because-a-bunch-of-atheists-are-bet_31804.jpg)
![“Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men [and women].” quote by Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b4c/zora-neale-hurston-923_death_ships-at-a-distance-have-every-man-s-wis_14724.jpg)
