“The sun kept on with its slipping away, and I thought how many small good things in the world might be resting on the shoulders of something terrible.”
"The sun
In this quote from Carol Rifka Brunt's novel "Tell the Wolves I'm Home," the speaker reflects on the juxtaposition of beauty and pain in the world. The image of the sun slipping away symbolizes the passing of time and the inevitability of change. Despite the darkness that may be present, the speaker recognizes that there are still "small good things" in the world that are able to exist alongside the terrible. This quote speaks to the idea that even in moments of sorrow or hardship, there is still room for hope and beauty to shine through.
In this quote from Carol Rifka Brunt's novel, the idea of finding goodness amidst difficulty is highlighted. This concept holds modern relevance as individuals navigate through challenging times, reminding us to look for the small acts of kindness and positivity that can coexist with the harshness of the world. In a society facing various struggles, it is important to remember that even in the midst of darkness, there can be moments of light and hope.
In this quote from Carol Rifka Brunt, the idea of beauty and goodness coexisting with darkness and tragedy is explored. Consider the following questions to reflect on this idea:
“I feel that if I kept it secret it might grow in my mind (as poisonous things grow in the dark) and take its place with the other terrible thoughts that gnaw me”
“So many things in the world have happened before. But it's like they never did. Every new thing that happens to a person, it's a first... In that night I felt expansion, as if the world was branching out in shoots and growing faster than the eye could see. I felt smallness, how the earth divided into bits and kept dividing. I felt stars.”
“He slipped away slowly, withdrawing from this world by small, imperceptible degrees, and in the end it was as ifhe were a drop of water evaporating in the sun, shrinking and shrinking until at last he wasn’t there anymore.”
“On the beach, at dawn:Four small stones clearlyHugging each other.How many kinds of loveMight there be in the world,And how many formations might they makeAnd who am I everTo imagine I could knowSuch a marvelous business?When the sun brokeIt poured willingly its lightOver the stonesThat did not move, not at all,Just as, to its always generous term,It shed its light on me,My own body that loves, Equally, to hug another body.”
“Again I resume the longlesson: how small a thingcan be pleasing, how littlein this hard world it takesto satisfy the mindand bring it to its rest.”