Farrell had seen pure white drunkenness before, but not often enough to recognize it at sight. He knew the thing itself, however--the freight train rattling and lurching comically from hilarity to slobbering sorrow, picking up speed as it passed through wild, aimless anger straight on into wild sickness; and then, running smoothly and almost silently now, into a dark place of shaking and sweating and crying, and out again with no warning to where a dazzling snowy light made everything very still.
Farrell, although not frequently exposed to the extremes of drunkenness, had become familiar with its chaotic nature. He understood how it could abruptly shift from laughter to deep sorrow, transitioning through phases of rage and illness. This unpredictable journey mirrored the tumultuous experience one feels when grappling with addiction or excess.
As the experience intensified, Farrell observed how the highs and lows intermingled, leading to moments of clarity amidst darkness. The profound shift from despair to an uplifting brightness illustrated the complex emotional landscape of those entrapped in these cycles, highlighting the precarious balance between joy and suffering that characterizes such experiences.