Awful Quote by Robert Goolrick
“Catherine Land liked the beginnings of things. The pure white possibility of the empty room, the first kiss, the first swipe at larceny. And endings, she liked endings, too. The drama of the smashing glass, the dead bird, the tearful goodbye, the last awful word which could never be unsaid or unremembered. It was the middles that gave her pause. This, for all its forward momentum, this was a middle. The beginnings were sweet, the endings usually bitter, but the middles were only the tightrope you walked between the one and the other. No more than that.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: The World According to Garp? Actually "The End of the World" by Robert Goolrick, 2014
The narrator reflects on the appeal of beginnings and endings, but sees the middle as a precarious balance, neither sweet nor bitter.
In simple terms: Beginnings and endings are clear; the middle is a tense balance.
Key Takeaway
Embrace the middle as the space between extremes.
Themes
balance
transitions
beginnings
endings
middles
Mood
introspective
philosophical
Type
contemplative
thoughtful
When to use this quote
- personal growth
- storytelling
- decision making
Key Concepts
life phases
psychological tension
narrative structure
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you navigate the 'middle' in your life?
- What can make the middle more meaningful?
A Different Perspective
Middles can feel stagnant or ambiguous.
