Harry Quote by Patrick Ness
““ There was once an invisible man , the monster continued, though Conor kept his eyes firmly on Harry, who had grown tired of being unseen . Conor set himself into a walk. A walk after Harry. It was not that he was actually invisible , the monster said, following Conor, the room volume dropping as they passed. It was that the people had become used to not seeing him. "Hey!" Conor called. Harry didn't turn around. Neither did Sully nor Anton, though thet were still sniggering as Conor picked up his pace. And if no one sees you , the monster said, picking up its pace, too, are you really there at all? "HEY!" Conor called loudly. The dining hall had fallen silent now, as Conor and the monster moved faster after Harry. Harry who had still not turned around. Conor reached him and grabbed him by the shoulder, twisting him round. Harry pretended to question what had happened, looking hard at Sully, acting like he was the one who'd done it. "Quit messing about," Harry said and turned away again. Turned away from Conor. And then one day the invisible man decided , the monster said, its voice ringing in Conor's ears, I will make them see me. "How?" Conor asked, breathing heavily again, not turning back to see the monster standing there, not looking at the reaction of the room to the huge monster now in the midst, though he was aware of nervous murmurs and a strange anticipation in the air. "How did the man do it?" Conor could feel the monster close behind him, knew that it was kneeling, knew that it was putting its face up to his ear to whisper into in, to tell him the rest of the story. He called , it said for a monster. ””
About This Quote
Source Novel: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, 2011
The passage explores how people ignore those who feel invisible, and how confronting that invisibility can force acknowledgment.
In simple terms: People often overlook those who feel unseen; confronting it can bring visibility.
Speak up and demand to be seen.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- school hallway
- social exclusion
- mental health
- group pressure
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you respond when you feel ignored?
- What actions can you take to make yourself seen?
Visibility can be fleeting if not sustained; fear of being seen may persist.