“I was an empty shell. Like a vacant house―condemned―for months I'd been utterly uninhabitable. Now I was a little improved. The front room was in better repair. But that was all―just the one small piece. He deserved better than that―better than a one-room, falling-down fixer-upper. No amount of investment on his part could put me back in working order.”
Quote Analysis:
In this quote from Stephenie Meyer's novel, the speaker describes feeling like an empty shell, comparing themselves to a condemned and uninhabitable house. The metaphor of a house in need of repair is used to convey the speaker's sense of brokenness and unworthiness. Despite recognizing a slight improvement in themselves, they still feel inadequate and believe that no amount of effort or investment from another person could fully fix them. This quote highlights themes of self-worth, self-perception, and the belief that one is undeserving of love or care.
Modern Relevance
In this quote from Stephenie Meyer's novel, the feeling of being empty and in need of repair is a sentiment that many people can relate to in the modern world. With mental health awareness on the rise and self-care becoming a central focus in society, the idea of needing to invest in oneself to become whole again is something that resonates with many individuals today. The metaphor of a condemned house symbolizes the feeling of being broken and in need of renovation, a feeling that is all too common in today's fast-paced and demanding world.
Example of Usage
In this passage, Stephenie Meyer uses the metaphor of a vacant house to describe the protagonist's emotional state. The comparison of the protagonist to a condemned, uninhabitable house conveys how broken and damaged they feel. The metaphor is further developed to express the idea that the protagonist feels inadequate and unworthy of love.
Reflection Questions
In this excerpt, the speaker expresses feelings of emptiness and inadequacy, comparing themselves to a condemned, uninhabitable house. This self-reflection raises questions about self-worth and the ability to be loved. Consider the following reflection questions:
- How do you personally relate to the metaphor of being like a vacant house?
- In what ways have you felt like a "fixer-upper" in relationships or personal growth?
- What do you think it means to be "in working order" as a person?
- Reflect on a time when you have felt undeserving of love or care. How did you overcome these feelings?
- How can we support others who may feel similarly to the speaker in this passage?
Similar quotes
“I'm very harsh on real estate agents. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because of how the call every small house 'charming' and every run-down house a 'great fixer-upper'. Just once, I'd like them to show me a house and declare, 'This one's a piece of crap'.”
“I glance around the room. What a comedy! All these people sitting there, looking serious, eating. No, they aren't eating: they are recuperating in order to successfully finish their tasks. Each one of them has his little personal difficulty which keeps him from noticing that he exists; there isn't one of them who doesn't believe himself indispensable to something or someone. Didn't the Self-Taught Man tell me the other day: "No one better qualified than Noucapie to undertake this vast synthesis?" Each one of them does one small thing and no one is better qualified than he to do it. No one is better qualified than the commercial traveler over there to sell Swan Toothpaste. No one better qualified than that interesting young man to put his hand under his girl friend's skirts. And I am among them and if they look at me they must think that no one is better qualified than I to do what I'm doing. But I know. I don't look like much, but I know I exist and that they exist. And if I knew how to convince people I'd go and sit down next to that handsome white-haired gentleman and explain to him just what existence means. I burst out laughing at the thought of the face he would make. The Self-Taught Man looks at me with surprise. I'd like to stop but I can't; I laugh until I cry.”
“I like to pick things apart, analyse them and put them back in a better order than they had been in before”
“For two weeks now,we'd been meeting when we could. Which, tragically, had been all of four short times: three at his house, once at mine, for a small amount of French before a lot of kissing. We'd had one furtive little interlude in an empty music room at school, but I'd been too nervous to really get into that one. At home, we were entwined, fingers and lips. At school, we barely spoke.”
“I was never going to amount to much anyway, but now, statistically speaking, there's a better chance that some part of me will go on to greatness somewhere in the world. I'd rather be partly great than entirely useless.”