Each memory is like a paper flower stowed up a magician's sleeve: invisible one moment and then so substantial and florid the next I cannot imagine how it stayed hidden all this time. And like those paper flowers, once they've been let loose in the world, the memories are impossible to tuck away again.
In Jodi Picoult's "The Storyteller," the author explores the enigmatic nature of memories, comparing them to paper flowers that a magician conceals and reveals. These memories can be elusive, remaining unnoticed until a prompt brings them to life in vivid detail. The metaphor indicates the complexity of recollection, where hidden thoughts emerge unexpectedly, impacting our present.
Once these memories are expressed, much like the flowers put on display, they cannot be repressed or forgotten. The quote reflects the inevitability of facing our past, suggesting that the act of remembering is both freeing and burdensome, as it reveals truths that may have long been kept at bay.
