“A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other. A solemn consideration, when I enter a great city by night, that every one of those darkly clustered houses encloses its own secret; that every room in every one of them encloses its own secret; that every beating heart in the hundreds of thousands of breasts there, is, in some of its imaginings, a secret to the heart nearest it! Something of the awfulness, even of Death itself, is referable to this.”I have always wondered how it's like in the minds of others and what secrets separate their life to be unique from everyone else’s. Our personal thoughts play part in defining us and I find that to be a bittersweet gift of life. It’s saddening to know that we will never be able to fully know our beloved ones; but that’s exactly what holds it to be beautiful. This quote also reminds me of transcendentalism because Dickens is aware that we are limited to know one another because of our minds. How do you interpret this quote?
-Cinthia Monge
I loved this quote! And I totally agree with you :)I also interpret it to be a some sort of power that we all have, but don't really take notice of it. And that we all have the power to share what we want, without any obligation to reveal everything. And also the secrey that lies in each and every one of us, and all the wonders of what other lives and stories people hold.
ReplyDeleteI agree, this is one of my absolute favorite quotes in the book so far. (:
ReplyDeleteDefinitely, it's a privilege to be able hold certain thoughts in secrecy; even so, it could also be seen as a disadvantage. Having the liberty to hold our thoughts private is favorable but it seems that Dickens views it as a misfortune, "Something of the awfulness, even of Death itself, is referable to this."
I find that quote about the relationship between individual secrecy and the awfulness of death, to be particularly intriguing. I was reminded of Hamlet's famous lines,"To be or not to be." In that soliloquy, he questions the sagacity of continuing to live an oppressive life. At the same time, he realizes that fear of the unknown paralyzes people from taking action.
DeleteThe connection between both literary works lies in that Dickens also speaks eloquently of the secrecy found subdivided within life, including death. Yes, this freedom to think as we please is greatly valued at the individual level, but it hinders social interaction to an extent.
An example of this is how Mr. Jarvis' fellow passengers retreat within themselves when the unexpected horse rider arrives. They offer no assistance and feign sleep, inactivity.
Our realization that we will never completly "know" even our closest acquantainces, makes us insecure and cautious. We may limit the kind of stimulating interaction that promotes growth, not stop it of course, but delay it.
We can see the hindering of social interaction with Mr. Manette. He kept all the events that occurred in those past years in the tower, that scarred his life, to himself. He never truly mentions what is was like because he breaks down any time anyone mentions him being cast away for 18 years. With Lucy, we see him find comfort and the trust necessary to recall him to life.
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