Death Quote by Virginia Woolf
““I must be able to say, 'Percival, a ridiculous name'. At the same time let me tell you, men and women, hurrying to the tube station, you would have had to respect him. You would have had to form up and follow behind him. How strange to oar one's way through crowds seeing life through hollow eyes, burning eyes.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: "Mrs Dalloway", 1925
She sat the paradox of respecting authority while feeling alienated, using vivid metaphor of moving through crowds with hollow, burning eyes.
In simple terms: Respect and alienation coexist; perception is intense.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the tension between conformity and individuality.
Themes
identity
conformity
perception
modernism
Mood
melancholic
introspective
poetic
Type
literary
psychological
When to use this quote
- urban commuting
- social gatherings
- public spaces
- personal introspection
- navigating authority
Key Concepts
Existentialism
social alienation
subjective experience
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “hollow eyes” symbolize for you?
- How do you reconcile respect with personal alienation?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may obscure concrete meaning.
