--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As happens in dreams, when a perfectly…" description: "\"“As happens in dreams, when a perfectly harmless object inspires us with fear and thereafter is frightening every time we dream of it (and even in real..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/vladimir-nabokov-198_dreams_as-happens-in-dreams-when-a-perfectly-ha_2397762.jpg" --- # As happens in dreams, when a perfectly harmless object… ![“As happens in dreams, when a perfectly harmless object inspires us with fear and thereafter is frightening every time we dream of it (and even in real life retains disquieting overtones), so Dreyer's presence became for Franz a refined torture, an implacable menace. [ ... H]e could not help…” quote by Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/vladimir-nabokov-198_dreams_as-happens-in-dreams-when-a-perfectly-ha_2397762.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/vladimir-nabokov-198_dreams_as-happens-in-dreams-when-a-perfectly-ha_2397762.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/vladimir-nabokov-198_dreams_as-happens-in-dreams-when-a-perfectly-ha_2397762.jpg) > ““As happens in dreams, when a perfectly harmless object inspires us with fear and thereafter is frightening every time we dream of it (and even in real life retains disquieting overtones), so Dreyer's presence became for Franz a refined torture, an implacable menace. \[ ... H\]e could not help cringing when, with a banging of doors in a dramatic draft, Martha and Dreyer entered simultaneously from two different rooms as if on a too harshly lit stage. Then he snapped to attention and in this attitude felt himself ascending through the ceiling, through the roof, into the black-brown sky, while, in reality, drained and empty, he was shaking hands with Martha, with Dreyer. He dropped back on his feet out of that dark nonexistence, from those unknown and rather silly heights, to land firmly in the middle of the room (safe, safe!) when hearty Dreyer described a circle with his index finger and jabbed him in the navel; Franz mimicked a gasp and giggled; and as usual Martha was coldly radiant. His fear did not pass but only subsided temporarily: one incautious glance, one eloquent smile, and all would be revealed, and a disaster beyond imagination would shatter his career. Thereafter whenever he entered this house, he imagined that the disaster had happened—that Martha had been found out, or had confessed everything in a fit of insanity or religious self-immolation to her husband; and the drawing room chandelier invariably met him with a sinister refulgence.”” [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A harmless object becomes terrifying in dreams, turning ordinary scenes into dread, illustrating how fear distorts perception. **In simple terms:** Harmless things can become scary in dreams. Key Takeaway Recognize fear’s distortion of reality. Themes fear perception dreams Mood introspective uneasy Type literary psychological When to use this quote - nightmares - creative writing - therapy sessions Key Concepts psychology symbolism anxiety Questions to Reflect On - What objects trigger your subconscious fear? - Can you separate dream fear from waking life? A Different Perspective Dream fear may not reflect real danger. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear Frightening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-frightening-3300973/) [Frightening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frightening/) [Imagined Disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagined-disaster-5994873/) [Inspires Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspires-fear-1544603/) [King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/king/) [Knave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knave/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Queen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/queen/) [Radiant Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/radiant-fear-5994874/) [Real life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-life/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not great at fear. I made the least frightening vampire show ever on TV. I'm pretty much good at heroic narratives and making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-m-not-great-at-fear-i-made-the-least-frightening-vampire-show-ever/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [Pushing through fear is less frightening than living with the fear which comes from the feeling of helplessness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/pushing-through-fear-is-less-frightening-than-living-with-the-fear/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [Men shrink less from offending one who inspires love than one who inspires fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/men-shrink-less-from-offending-one-who-inspires-love-than-one-who/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [The boss inspires fear; the leader inspires enthusiasm. The boss says 'I'; The leader says 'We'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-gordon-selfridge/the-boss-inspires-fear-the-leader-inspires-enthusiasm-the-boss-says-i/) [Harry Gordon Selfridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-gordon-selfridge/) > [The boss inspires fear; the leader inspires enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/the-boss-inspires-fear-the-leader-inspires-enthusiasm/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [There's never a villain dwelling in all Denmark But he's an arrant knave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/there-s-never-a-villain-dwelling-in-all-denmark-but-he-s-an-arrant/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [You are not worth another word, else I'd call you knave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/you-are-not-worth-another-word-else-i-d-call-you-knave/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [The same ambition can destroy or save, and make a patriot as it makes a knave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/the-same-ambition-can-destroy-or-save-and-make-a-patriot-as-it-makes/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [“Though this knave came something saucily into this world before he was sent for, yet was is mother Fair; there was good sport at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/though-this-knave-came-something-saucily-into-this-world-before-he/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [A crafty knave needs no broker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/a-crafty-knave-needs-no-broker/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [I am always afraid of a fool. One cannot be sure that he is not a knave as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/i-am-always-afraid-of-a-fool-one-cannot-be-sure-that-he-is-not-a/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [He who says there is no such thing as an honest man, you may be sure is himself a knave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-berkeley/he-who-says-there-is-no-such-thing-as-an-honest-man-you-may-be-sure/) [George Berkeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-berkeley/) > [“LEIA Ah! Gov’nor Tarkin, scurvy knave art thou.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-doescher/leia-ah-gov-nor-tarkin-scurvy-knave-art-thou/) [Ian Doescher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-doescher/) > [There is not on earth so base a knave as the man who wins the love of a woman when he knows that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/there-is-not-on-earth-so-base-a-knave-as-the-man-who-wins-the-love-of/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Be afraid not of a fiend but of a knave friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olajobi-shade/be-afraid-not-of-a-fiend-but-of-a-knave-friend/) [Olajobi Shade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olajobi-shade/) ## More by Vladimir Nabokov > [And the rest is rust and stardust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/and-the-rest-is-rust-and-stardust/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [There is no science without fancy and no art without fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/there-is-no-science-without-fancy-and-no-art-without-fact/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“My solemn exasperation was to her the silence of love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/my-solemn-exasperation-was-to-her-the-silence-of-love/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [ “...under no circumstances would he \[Humbert Humbert\] have interfered with the innocence of a child, if there was the least risk of a row.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/under-no-circumstances-would-he-humbert-humbert-have-interfered-with/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [The cradle rocks above an abyss, and common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/the-cradle-rocks-above-an-abyss-and-common-sense-tells-us-that-our/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“Ami azt illeti, Vannak kezdtek nagyon tetszeni a fák is, a csodák is meg az Adák is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/ami-azt-illeti-vannak-kezdtek-nagyon-tetszeni-a-f-k-is-a-csod-k-is/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [We live not only in a world of thoughts, but also in a world of things. Words without experience are meaningless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/we-live-not-only-in-a-world-of-thoughts-but-also-in-a-world-of-things/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“As palavras sem a experiência não teriam qualquer significado.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/as-palavras-sem-a-experi-ncia-n-o-teriam-qualquer-significado/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“It isn’t possible. I cannot imagine it. Come on over here, you foolish little doe, and tell me on what day I shall die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/it-isn-t-possible-i-cannot-imagine-it-come-on-over-here-you-foolish/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“Precautions to be taken in the case Of freak reincarnation: what to do On suddenly discovering that you Are now a young and vulnerable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/precautions-to-be-taken-in-the-case-of-freak-reincarnation-what-to-do/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [And this is the only immortality you and i may share, my Lolita.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/and-this-is-the-only-immortality-you-and-i-may-share-my-lolita/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“Be true to your Dick.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/be-true-to-your-dick/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“It is indeed a tricky name. It is often misspelt, because the eye tends to regard the "a" of the first syllable as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/it-is-indeed-a-tricky-name-it-is-often-misspelt-because-the-eye-tends/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“(T)here exist friendships which develop their own inner duration, their own eons of transparent time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/t-here-exist-friendships-which-develop-their-own-inner-duration-their/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“She was all rose and honey.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/she-was-all-rose-and-honey/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) [Explore all 883 Vladimir Nabokov quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) ## More Dreams quotes > [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/) [Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/) > [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/) [Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [“Now you’re wet. You’re so wet you’re leaking down your ass. You’re soaking my pillow. I don’t think I’m ever washing it. I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-stoker/now-you-re-wet-you-re-so-wet-you-re-leaking-down-your-ass-you-re/) [Susan Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-stoker/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“I had a dream. I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 40,599 Dreams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As happens in dreams, when a perfectly harmless object inspires us with fear and thereafter is frightening every time we dream of it (and even in real life retains disquieting overtones), so Dreyer's presence became for Franz a refined torture, an implacable menace. [ ... H]e could not help cringing when, with a banging of doors in a dramatic draft, Martha and Dreyer entered simultaneously from two different rooms as if on a too harshly lit stage. Then he snapped to attention and in this attitude felt himself ascending through the ceiling, through the roof, into the black-brown sky, while, in reality, drained and empty, he was shaking hands with Martha, with Dreyer. He dropped back on his feet out of that dark nonexistence, from those unknown and rather silly heights, to land firmly in the middle of the room (safe, safe!) when hearty Dreyer described a circle with his index finger and jabbed him in the navel; Franz mimicked a gasp and giggled; and as usual Martha was coldly radiant. His fear did not pass but only subsided temporarily: one incautious glance, one eloquent smile, and all would be revealed, and a disaster beyond imagination would shatter his career. 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