He had been fixed in my memory for so long, glowing but static, like an insect frozen in amber. And then had come Roger's brief historical sightings, like peeks through a keyhole; separate pictures like punctuations, alterations; adjustments of memory, each showing the dragonfly's wings raised or lowered at a different angle, like the single frames of a motion picture. Now time had begun to run again for us, and the dragonfly was in flight before me, flickering from place to place, so I saw little more yet than the glitter of its wings.
This passage captures the essence of memory and perception as experienced by the narrator. The imagery compares a memory to an insect trapped in amber, suggesting that it has remained unchanged and preserved over time. The references to Roger's historical sightings provide glimpses into the past, akin to moments captured in a film, each offering a new angle on what was previously fixed and static. These visions serve to enrich the narrator's understanding of the past, although they are still fragmented.
As time progresses, the memories transform from static images into a dynamic experience, represented by the dragonfly in flight. The dragonfly's movement embodies the fluidity of memory, where each flicker reveals new aspects that are less tangible than before. The shimmering wings symbolize the beauty and complexity of recollection, where the past is not merely a series of fixed points but a vibrant, evolving narrative that shapes the narrator's present experience.
