Dreams Quote by Zora Neale Hurston
““She stood there until something fell off the shelf inside her. Then she went inside there to see what it was. It was her image of Jody tumbled down and shattered. But looking at it she saw that it never was the flesh and blood figure of her dreams. Just something she grabbed up to drape her dreams over. In a way she turned her back upon the image where it lay and looked further. She had no more blossomy openings dusting pollen over her man, neither any glistening young fruit where the petals used to be. She found that she had a host of thoughts she had never expressed to him, and numerous emotions she had never let Jody know about. Things packed up and put away in parts of her heart where he could never find them. She was saving up feelings for some man she had never seen. She had an inside and an outside now and suddenly she knew how not to mix them.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, 1937
A woman discovers that her idealized image of a lover is a construct, leading her to separate inner feelings from outward actions and recognize unexpressed thoughts.
In simple terms: She realizes her imagined lover was a fantasy and learns to keep inner feelings private.
Key Takeaway
Separate inner emotions from outward expectations.
Themes
self‑discovery
identity
illusion
emotional boundaries
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
literary
psychological
philosophical
When to use this quote
- romantic relationships
- personal growth
- self‑expression
- emotional health
Key Concepts
psychology
self‑reflection
narrative truth
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you distinguish between fantasy and reality in relationships?
- What boundaries protect your inner self?
A Different Perspective
The insight may overlook the value of sharing emotions with trusted partners.
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![“[T]hese last few days where I've moped around damn near depressed for real, because of people who do not exist. Not really. I can buy them Christmas presents, but there is no way to send them. Sometimes I feel like I should be able to walk into the next room and there they will be, but they won't…” quote by Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c19/laurell-k-hamilton-199_able_t-hese-last-few-days-where-i-ve-moped-ar_73321.jpg)
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