A child is asleep. Her private life unwinds inside skin and skull; only as she sheds childhood, first one decade and then another, can she locate the actual, historical stream, see the setting of her dreaming private life-the nation, the city, the neighborhood, the house where the family lives-as an actual project under way, a project living people willed, and made well or failed, and are still making, herself among them. I breathed the air of history all unaware, and walked oblivious through its littered layers.
The quote reflects on a child's inner life and the gradual awakening to the broader context of her existence as she matures. In the beginning, the child is absorbed in her own dreams and experiences, with little realization of the historical and social framework surrounding her. As she grows, she begins to understand her life as part of a collective journey shaped by the choices of those before her, recognizing the past's influence on her present circumstances.
Dillard captures the essence of childhood innocence and the eventual transition to awareness of one's place in the world. The child starts to comprehend her identity within the layers of history, culture, and environment, implicating that everyone contributes to the ongoing narrative of life. The realization of being part of a larger story highlights both the burdens and the richness of human experience, as history and personal growth become intertwined.
