As long as I kept moving, my grief streamed out behind me like a swimmer's long hair in water. I knew the weight was there but it didn't touch me. Only when I stopped did the slick, dark stuff of it come floating around my face, catching my arms and throat till I began to drown. So I just didn't stop.
In Barbara Kingsolver's "The Poisonwood Bible," the narrator reflects on the experience of grief. While actively moving forward in life, the grief feels distant, like a swimmer's hair flowing in water. The narrator acknowledges its presence but feels unburdened by it as long as they remain in motion.
However, when they pause, the heaviness of grief becomes overwhelming, enveloping them and making it hard to breathe. This illustrates the struggle of confronting sorrow; it highlights the importance of staying engaged with life to keep despair at bay. The narrator chooses to keep moving to avoid being consumed by their grief.
Rate the Quote
User Reviews
Other quotes in book quote
All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
Race of Cain, ascend to heaven, And cast God down upon the earth!
