Awful Quote by Joseph Conrad
“I -- I alone know how to mourn for him as he deserves.' But while we were still shaking hands, such a look of awful desolation came upon her face that I perceived she was one of those creatures that are not the playthings of Time. For her he had died only yesterday. And, by Jove! the impression was so powerful that for me, too, he seemed to have died only yesterday -- nay, this very minute. I saw her and him in the same instant of time -- his death and her sorrow -- I saw her sorrow in the very moment of his death. Do you understand? I saw them together -- I heard them together.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: Nostromo, Joseph Conrad, 1904
The narrator describes an intense, shared grief that feels immediate and timeless, blurring the line between past and present.
In simple terms: Deep empathy makes loss feel present.
Key Takeaway
Acknowledge shared sorrow fully.
Themes
grief
empathy
time
memory
human connection
Mood
somber
reflective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- funeral rites
- war memorials
- personal loss
- collective mourning
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology
temporal perception
Questions to Reflect On
- How does shared grief affect personal healing?
- Can we ever truly separate present sorrow from past loss?
A Different Perspective
Such immediacy may overlook the healing process over time.
