“Water beaded across her shoulders, shining like drops of milk, and her breasts swayed in the currents. It was the kind of vision you never really get over. I couldn’t help it, I wanted to go and lick the milk beads from her shoulders. I opened my mouth. I wanted something. Something, I didn’t know what. Mother, forgive.”
Explore This Quote Further
Quote Analysis
In this quote by Sue Monk Kidd from her novel "The Secret Life of Bees," the narrator describes the beauty of a woman's body as she bathes. The sensual description of water beading across her shoulders and her breasts swaying in the currents creates a vivid image for the reader. The narrator's desire to "lick the milk beads from her shoulders" reveals a sense of longing and temptation. The mention of wanting something, but not knowing what, shows a deep internal conflict within the narrator. The final plea for forgiveness from the mother indicates a sense of guilt or shame for feeling such desire. Overall, this quote captures a moment of intense attraction and inner turmoil.
Modern Relevance
In this poignant quote from Sue Monk Kidd's novel, the protagonist's desire and guilt are vividly described as he witnesses the beauty of a woman. The raw emotions and conflicting thoughts portrayed in this passage are still relevant in modern society, where individuals grapple with their desires and societal expectations.
Sensual Imagery in Literature
"Water beaded across her shoulders, shining like drops of milk, and her breasts swayed in the currents. It was the kind of vision you never really get over. I couldn’t help it, I wanted to go and lick the milk beads from her shoulders. I opened my mouth. I wanted something. Something, I didn’t know what. Mother, forgive.” - Sue Monk Kidd"
Reflection Questions:
This quote from Sue Monk Kidd's novel raises some thought-provoking ideas about desire, temptation, and forgiveness.
- How does the imagery of water and milk in this passage contribute to the sensory experience described by the narrator?
- What do you think the narrator is trying to convey with their conflicting desires and feelings of guilt towards their mother?
- How does this passage challenge traditional ideas of femininity and sexuality?
- In what ways does the narrator's desire for something they cannot name reflect deeper emotional needs or turmoil within themselves?
- How does the theme of forgiveness play a role in this passage and how do you interpret the narrator's plea for forgiveness from their mother?
Similar quotes
“This is what I know about myself. She was all I wanted. And I took her away.”
“She was wet with my crying. Up around her collar the cotton of her dress was plastered to her skin. I could see her darkness shining through the wet places. She was like a sponge, absorbing what I couldn't hold anymore.”
“I pulled out my bag and examined my mother's picture. I wondered what it had been like to be inside her, just a curl of flesh swimming in her darkness, the quiet things that had passed between us.”
“Mother seemed happiest when making and tending home, the sewing machine whistling and the Mixmaster whirling. Her deepest impulse was to nurture, to simply dwell; it had nothing to do with ambition and achievement in the world...How had I come to believe that my world of questing and writing was more valuable than her dwelling and domestic artistry?...I wanted to go out and do things--write books, speak out. I've been driven by that. I don't know how to rest in myself very well, how to be content staying put. But Mother knows how to BE at home--and really, to be in herself. It's actually very beautiful what she does...I think part of me just longs for the way Mother experiences home.”
“I marvel at how good I was before I met him, how I lived molded to the smallest space possible, my days the size of little beads that passed without passion through my fingers. So few people know what they're capable of. At forty-two I'd never done anything that took my own breath away, and I suppose now that was part of the problem - my chronic inability to astonish myself.”
“Egg laying is the main thing, Lily. She's the mother of every bee in the hive, and they all depend on her to keep it going. I don't care what their job is--they know the queen is their mother. She's the mother of thousands.”