“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.”
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
“Max!' Nudge cried, rushing over to hug me. Her thin arms gripped me tight, and I hugged her back, scratching her wings where they joined her shoulders, the way she liked. 'We were so worried—I didn’t know what had happened to you, and we didn’t know what to do, and Fang said we going to eat rats, and—''Okay, okay. Everything’s okay,' I told her. I met Fang’s eyes over her shoulder and mouthed rats? silently. A flicker of a grin crossed his lips and then was gone.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Kath protested, getting to her feet. Keath was telling her how to kill him.“I just need you to know.” Keath got to his feet too. He reached out and up his hands firmly on her shoulders, looking into her eyes. She wanted to look away but she couldn’t. There was something in Keath’s eyes. He was afraid of something, something he didn't want to tell her, as though he didn't want to scare her anymore.“I want to know that if it I need to be stopped,” Keath continued. “You will be able to stop me. Just promise me that you will, Kathleen.”
“I'll tend to her as no mother ever tended a child, a daughter. Nobody will ever get my milk no more except my own children. I never had to give it to nobody else--and the one time I did it was took from me--they held me down and took it. Milk that belonged to my baby.... I know what it is to be without the milk that belongs to you; to have to fight and holler for it, and to have so little left.”
“Mencheres dropped his hands from my shoulders. “You know that’s what he wants. He’ll want to trade, you for her.”“Then I’ll do it,” I said.Bones’s grip on me turned to steel. “No, you won’t.”
“I didn’t know what to spend it on, ’cause my mum said she didn’t want me to buy her nothing. So I was going to buy Larry something, but he said I should spend it on something I always wanted. So I bought a cat.”