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Dreams Quote by Marilynne Robinson

“It is...difficult to describe someone, since memories are by their nature fragmented, isolated, and arbitrary as glimpses one has at night through lighted windows. [E]very memory is turned over and over again, every word, however chance, written in the heart in the hope that memory will fulfill…” quote by Marilynne Robinson
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““It is...difficult to describe someone, since memories are by their nature fragmented, isolated, and arbitrary as glimpses one has at night through lighted windows. [E]very memory is turned over and over again, every word, however chance, written in the heart in the hope that memory will fulfill itself, and become flesh, and that the wanderers will find a way home, and the perished, whose lack we always feel, will step through the door finally and stroke our hair with dreaming, habitual fondness, not having meant to keep us waiting long.””

Marilynne Robinson

About This Quote

Source Book: “Housekeeping” (1992)

Memory is fragmented and elusive, yet we constantly rewrite it, seeking meaning and connection.

In simple terms: Memories are broken pieces we try to piece together for meaning.

Key Takeaway

Cherish and question your recollections.

Themes

memory fragmentation meaning longing

Mood

melancholic introspective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

  • writing
  • therapy
  • personal reflection

Key Concepts

nostalgia subjectivity psychology

Questions to Reflect On

  • What role do memories play in your identity?
  • How do you reconcile conflicting memories?
A Different Perspective

Memory can be unreliable; not all recollections are accurate.

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