But there I was, surrendering to a most extraordinary call from the grave, the mass-grave-to-be of Europe, as if somewhere ahead lay an iron gateway, slightly ajar, leading to a low and sombre country, with an incalculable crowd on sides and bearing me along.
In the extract from Thomas Pynchon's "Against the Day," the narrator reflects on a profound, almost haunting experience. They describe being drawn to a powerful and unsettling call that evokes thoughts of European mass graves, suggesting a connection to a deep historical trauma. The imagery of an iron gateway evokes a sense of entering into a somber realm filled with shadows of the past.
This passage reflects themes of surrender and...
