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Old lady Quote by Virginia Woolf

“Big Ben struck the half hour. How extraordinary it was, strange, yes, touching, to see the old lady (they had been neighbors ever so many years) move away from the window, as if she were attached to that sound, that string. Gigantic as it was, it had something to do with her. Down, down, into the…” quote by Virginia Woolf
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““Big Ben struck the half hour. How extraordinary it was, strange, yes, touching, to see the old lady (they had been neighbors ever so many years) move away from the window, as if she were attached to that sound, that string. Gigantic as it was, it had something to do with her. Down, down, into the midst of ordinary things the finger fell making the moment solemn. She was forced, so Clarissa imagined, by that sound, to move, to go - but where? Clarissa tried to follow her as she turned and disappeared, and could still just see her white cap moving at the back of the bedroom. She was still there moving about at the other end of the room. Why creeds and prayers and mackintoshes? when, thought Clarissa, that's the miracle, that's the mystery; that old lady, she meant, whom she could see going from chest of drawers to dressing table. She could still see her. And the supreme mystery, which Kilman might say she had solved, or Peter might say he had solved, but Clarissa didn't believe either of them had the ghost of an idea of solving, was simply this: here was one room, there another. Did religion solve that, or love?””

Virginia Woolf

About This Quote

A surreal passage explores how a familiar sound triggers a cascade of memories and existential questions about identity, religion, and love.

In simple terms: Sound evokes deep, layered reflections on life.

Key Takeaway

Ordinary sensations can unlock profound inner mysteries.

Themes

Memory Perception Existentialism Sound

Mood

Mystical Melancholic

Type

Reflection Literary description

When to use this quote

  • Listening to a clock in a quiet house
  • Recalling childhood sounds
  • Meditative soundscapes

Key Concepts

Phenomenology Narrative consciousness

Practical Applications

  • Use auditory cues in therapy
  • Incorporate sound in storytelling

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does the 'old lady' symbolize?
  • How does sound shape personal narratives?
A Different Perspective

The passage is highly abstract, limiting concrete interpretation.

4.9 out of 5 (9 ratings)

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