Automata Quote by Lucy M. Boston
““When she opened her eyes they were confronted by a musical box against the opposite wall - one of those early Bavarian toys where mechanical figures perform to the tune. 'How odd,' she thought. The little stage showed a group of fiddlers, two couples in costumes like those of the ball she had just quitted, and in a doorway at the side, a gypsy or beggar man. Very faintly the distant waltz came to her ears, but no footsteps ringing in the abandoned halls. With her hand pressed to her unsteady heart, acting under a sudden compulsion, she pushed down the lever. Delicate plucked music started up; the fiddlers sawed with their clumsy arms in time to an ethereal waltz. The couples moved jerkily out and each raised an arm to clasp its partner. To various clicks and rumbles from under the floor they began to revolve with each other and to orbit round the room. Their movements were sinister because of being both reluctant and predestined. Here they were and this is was what they must do. ("Many Coloured Glass")””
About This Quote
A protagonist discovers a mechanical music box that animates a waltz of dancers, symbolizing the tension between destiny and reluctant agency in a haunted setting.
In simple terms: Mechanical music box triggers a fated waltz.
Key Takeaway
Destiny can feel both inevitable and oppressive.
Themes
fate
agency
haunting
music
dance
predestination
Mood
eerie
reflective
melancholic
Type
narrative excerpt
descriptive passage
symbolic vignette
When to use this quote
- exploring abandoned manor
- encountering uncanny artifacts
- feeling compelled by music
- observing predestined rituals
- confronting inner tension
Key Concepts
mechanical automata
symbolic choreography
psychological compulsion
spatial decay
Practical Applications
- creative writing inspiration
- thematic analysis of destiny
Questions to Reflect On
- How does the music box reflect the character’s inner conflict?
- What does the predestined dance suggest about free will?
