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Desire Quote by Margaret Atwood

“There was old sex in the room and loneliness, and expectation, of something without a shape or name. I remember that yearning, and was never the same as the hands that were on us there and then, in the small of the back, or out back, in the parking lot, or in the television room with the sound…” quote by Margaret Atwood
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““There was old sex in the room and loneliness, and expectation, of something without a shape or name. I remember that yearning, and was never the same as the hands that were on us there and then, in the small of the back, or out back, in the parking lot, or in the television room with the sound turned down and only the pictures flickering over lifting flesh. We yearned for the future How did we learn it, that talent for insatiability?””

Margaret Atwood

About This Quote

Source Novel: Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood, 1996

Desire emerges from emptiness and longing, driving people toward imagined futures that can never be fully satisfied.

In simple terms: Yearning for something undefined fuels endless pursuit.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and question unfulfilled cravings.

Themes

desire loneliness search for meaning

Mood

melancholic contemplative

Type

literary psychological

When to use this quote

  • relationships
  • artistic creation
  • career ambition
  • personal growth

Key Concepts

existential yearning unattainable ideals human longing

Questions to Reflect On

  • What shape does your yearning take?
  • Can you find contentment without a defined goal?
A Different Perspective

The pursuit may distract from present reality and cause frustration.

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