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Crying Quote by Ray Bradbury

“And he remembered thinking then that if she died, he was certain he wouldn't cry. For it would be the dying of an unknown, a street face, a newspaper image, and it was suddenly so very wrong that he begun to cry, not at death but at the thought of not crying at death, a silly empty man near a…” quote by Ray Bradbury
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““And he remembered thinking then that if she died, he was certain he wouldn't cry. For it would be the dying of an unknown, a street face, a newspaper image, and it was suddenly so very wrong that he begun to cry, not at death but at the thought of not crying at death, a silly empty man near a silly empty woman, while the hungry snake made her still more empty. How do you get so empty? he wondered. Who takes it out of you? And that awful flower the other day, the dandelion! It had summed up everything, hadn't it? 'What a shame! You're not in love with anyone!' And why not?””

Ray Bradbury

About This Quote

Source Novel: Something Wicked This Way Comes, 1962

He realizes that not grieving death feels wrong, exposing his emptiness and yearning for authentic emotion.

In simple terms: Not feeling sorrow reveals inner emptiness.

Key Takeaway

Allow genuine feelings to surface.

Themes

existential loneliness emotional authenticity

Mood

melancholic introspective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

  • grief processing
  • self‑reflection
  • relationship dynamics

Key Concepts

psychology human condition literary analysis

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does your reaction to loss say about you?
  • How can you confront emotional emptiness?
A Different Perspective

Emptiness can mask deeper unmet needs.

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