“My exit from the window is a little like a foal being born. It's a graceless and gangly drop, directly onto my mother's gerbera bed. I emerge quickly and pretend it didn't hurt.”
Explore This Quote Further
Analysis
In this quote, Craig Silvey uses a simile to compare the protagonist's exit from the window to a foal being born. This comparison conveys a sense of awkwardness and vulnerability in the character's actions. The mention of dropping directly onto his mother's gerbera bed adds a touch of humor to the scene, yet also highlights the character's disregard for potential pain or consequences. By quickly emerging and pretending that it didn't hurt, the protagonist displays a sense of resilience and determination in the face of challenges. The use of vivid imagery and comparisons in this quote helps to bring the scene to life and provides insight into the character's personality and mindset.
The Clumsy Exit
In this quote from Craig Silvey, the protagonist describes their awkward exit from a window as reminiscent of a foal being born. This comparison of a clumsy and graceless action to a natural and necessary process can be seen as a metaphor for the challenges and discomforts we face in life. Just like the foal, we may stumble and fall as we navigate new experiences, but ultimately we must push through the pain and emerge stronger on the other side.
Craig Silvey Example
Here is an expressive quote from Craig Silvey describing a character's awkward exit from a window.
“My exit from the window is a little like a foal being born. It's a graceless and gangly drop, directly onto my mother's gerbera bed. I emerge quickly and pretend it didn't hurt.” - Craig Silvey
Reflection Questions:
The quote by Craig Silvey paints a vivid and slightly comical image of a clumsy exit from a window. Reflecting on this passage, consider the following questions:
Have you ever experienced a situation where you needed to make a quick "exit" or escape from a place or a situation? How did you handle it, and how did it make you feel?
The comparison of the narrator's exit to a foal being born is a unique and visual one. What do you think this comparison adds to the overall tone and imagery of the passage?
The narrator quickly emerges from the fall and pretends it didn't hurt. Why do you think they choose to act this way? Have you ever found yourself pretending that something didn't hurt, even though it did?
How does the use of humor and imagery in this passage affect your interpretation of the narrator's experience? What do you think the author is trying to convey through this scene?
Similar quotes
“Life might be easier if you give in a little, but it's better if you hold onto something so hard you can't give it up.”
“...if it were anyone else, I would choose to step back and turn away right now. I would never bow my head and push through that wattle, and its golden orbs would never shake loose and nestle in my hair like confetti. I would never grab at its rough trunk to save me from tripping. I would never part its locks of foliage. And I would never lift my head to see this neat clearing of land. I would never look past Jasper Jones to reveal his secret. But I don't turn back. I stay. I follow Jasper Jones. And I see it.”
“How strange and abandoned and unsettled I am. Like a snowdome paper weight that's been shaken. There's a blizzard in my bubble. Everything in my world that was steady and sure and sturdy has been shaken out of place, and it's now drifting and swirling back down in a confetti of debris. (p30)”
“I feel as though I should say something profound, or enact some rite, or trade something to make it official. I want to transfer some trinket which would allow me to say that she's my girl, some kind of currency that proves to people that she likes me back. Something that would permit me to think about her all the time without feeling guilty or helpless or hopelessly far away. I guess I'm just so excited, I want to cage this thing like a tiny red bird so if can't fly away, so it stays the same, so it's still there the next time. For keeps, like a coin in your pocket. Like a peach pit from Mad Jack Lionel's tree. Like scribbled words in a locked suitcase. A bright balloon to tie to your bedpost. And you want to hug it close, hold it, but not so tight it bursts.”
“I force a smile and hold up my hand, which must end up looking like some sort of strange, leery wince, like I've just swallowed a glass of somebody's urine and I'm recommending it.”
“I'm excited but afraid. I long to turn and wedge myself through the horse's arse from which I've just fallen, to sit safe in the hot womb of my room. But this is Jasper Jones, and he and come to me.”