But tears are not, like blood, shed by all involuntarily and according to the same determinants. And I had come to wonder, from the cauterized state of my own emotions then, whether those who have suppressed or diverted the course of strong feeling are sometimes left immune, with nothing more than just such superficial traces of what was once a great affliction. {p. 78}
In "The Bay of Noon" by Shirley Hazzard, the narrator reflects on the nature of tears and emotions. Unlike the involuntary shedding of blood, tears are often influenced by personal circumstances and emotions, making them unique to each individual. This distinction raises questions about emotional suppression and its effects on one's ability to express feelings. The narrator contemplates their emotional numbness, suggesting that individuals who have learned to suppress their intense feelings might appear unaffected, leaving only faint signs of past suffering. This introspection invites deeper consideration of how we handle pain and the residue it leaves on our emotional state.
In "The Bay of Noon," the narrator reflects on the nature of tears and emotions. Unlike the involuntary shedding of blood, tears are often influenced by personal circumstances and emotions, making them unique to each individual. This distinction raises questions about emotional suppression and its effects on one's ability to express feelings.
The narrator contemplates their emotional numbness, suggesting that individuals who have learned to suppress their intense feelings might appear unaffected, leaving only faint signs of past suffering. This introspection invites deeper consideration of how we handle pain and the residue it leaves on our emotional state.
