---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [...] these questions gave way, in the…"
description: "\"“[...] these questions gave way, in the course of time, to a different preoccupation, namely, a slow and growing awareness of familiarity with the land..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a62/jonathan-coe-10154_time_these-questions-gave-way-in-the-course-o_1715122.jpg"
---

#  \[...\] these questions gave way, in the course of time, to…

![“[...] these questions gave way, in the course of time, to a different preoccupation, namely, a slow and growing awareness of familiarity with the landscape into which she was being carried. A familiarity based not on the sighting of particular landmarks, but on her feeling that the very contours…” quote by Jonathan Coe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a62/jonathan-coe-10154_time_these-questions-gave-way-in-the-course-o_1715122.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a62/jonathan-coe-10154_time_these-questions-gave-way-in-the-course-o_1715122.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a62/jonathan-coe-10154_time_these-questions-gave-way-in-the-course-o_1715122.jpg)

> ““\[...\] these questions gave way, in the course of time, to a different preoccupation, namely, a slow and growing awareness of familiarity with the landscape into which she was being carried. A familiarity based not on the sighting of particular landmarks, but on her feeling that the very contours of the hills and fields, and the very shapes and colours of the buildings, now appeared as surviving monuments to the existence of a much earlier self whom she had long forgotten. She knew, of course, that they could not bring that self back to life, perish the thought, but they reminded her of it in a way which she did not find disagreeable.””

[Jonathan Coe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-coe/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A gradual, deepening sense of belonging to a place emerges from lived experience, connecting present self to forgotten past selves.

**In simple terms:** Feeling at home through memory.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate awareness of how environments shape identity.

Themes

memory identity place nostalgia

Mood

nostalgic thoughtful

Type

reflective literary

When to use this quote

- travel
- relocation
- urban planning
- personal reflection
- heritage tours

Key Concepts

psychology literature philosophy

Questions to Reflect On

- What parts of a landscape shape your sense of self?
- How can we honor past selves without idealizing them?

A Different Perspective

The passage may romanticize memory, overlooking negative aspects of place attachment.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Carried Familiarity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carried-familiarity-1284360/) [Familiarity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/familiarity/) [Familiarity Landscape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/familiarity-landscape-1284359/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Reminded Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reminded-way-402555/) [Thought Reminded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-reminded-1284361/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

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> [It is familiarity with life that makes time speed quickly. When every day is a step in the unknown, as for children, the days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/it-is-familiarity-with-life-that-makes-time-speed-quickly-when-every/)

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> [Vulgar and inactive minds confound familiarity with knowledge, and conceive themselves informed of the whole nature of things, when they are shown their form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/vulgar-and-inactive-minds-confound-familiarity-with-knowledge-and/)

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> [Too much familiarity breeds contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/too-much-familiarity-breeds-contempt/)

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## More by Jonathan Coe

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## More Familiarity quotes

> [Too much familiarity breeds contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/too-much-familiarity-breeds-contempt/)

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[Jen Knox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-knox/)

> [Today the greatest single deterrent to knowledge of Jesus is His familiarity. Because we think we know Him, we pass Him by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winifred-kirkland/today-the-greatest-single-deterrent-to-knowledge-of-jesus-is-his/)

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