"She began to make plans and to dream delightful dreams of change, of life somewhere else. Some place where at last she would be permanently satisfied. Her anticipatory thoughts waltzed and eddied abou to the sweet silent music of change. With rapture almost, she let herself drop into the blissful sensation of visualizing herself in different, strange places, among approving and admiring people, where she would be appreciated, and understood" (Larsen 53).
This is perhaps my favorite passage that I have read thus far in Quicksand. And what I see when I read these words are sadness. Sadness about life; dissatisfaction as well.
I am once again reminded that every individual struggles with something. It can be easy to get caught up with what we would like to change about ourselves, our friends, our community, America in general. People always have complaints, they always have things they would like to improve. And while improvement is not a bad thing, it is also good to recognize what we have, just as we are. Marissa recently wrote a blog about recognizing how great our bodies are just as they are--everything they allow us to do.
However, I realize Quicksand is a little bit of a different situation. It is set in a time where everything was judged, changing, and hard to find one's place in. Of course she wanted to find a place where she was appreciated and understood. To find a world in which she could be herself and not have to worry about being "out" of the crowd.
It's interesting to think about this and how things don't really change that much. The need to be understood and appreciated travels through generations. I find myself wondering if these needs are learned, or if they are innate in us as Americans.
No comments:
Post a Comment