Belly button Quote by Tom Robbins
““It is not a belly button. (The umbilicus serves, then withdraws, leaving but a single footprint where it stood: the navel, wrinkled and cupped, whorled and domed, blind and winking, bald and tufted, sweaty and powdered, kissed and bitten, waxed and fuzzy, bejeweled and ignored; reflecting as graphically as breasts, seeds or fetishes the omnipotent fertility in which Nature dangles her muddy feet, the navel looks in like a plugged keyhole to the center of our being, it is true, but O navel, though we salute your motionless maternity and the dreams that have gotten tangled in your lint, you are only a scar, after all; you are not it.)””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins, 1980
The passage uses vivid metaphor to describe the navel as a symbolic scar, juxtaposing its physical presence with deeper existential meaning.
In simple terms: The navel is a scar with symbolic weight.
Key Takeaway
Recognize symbols beyond their surface.
Themes
symbolism
body
identity
existentialism
Mood
contemplative
poetic
introspective
Type
literary
philosophical
metaphorical
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- literary analysis
- creative writing
- psychological introspection
Key Concepts
metaphor
scar
fertility
nature
identity
existentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- What personal scars do you overlook?
- How do everyday body parts carry deeper meaning?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may be overly ornate, obscuring clear insight.
