Her wish to die was as pervasive as a dial tone: you lift the receiver, it's always there.
In Joyce Carol Oates' novel "Faithless," the protagonist experiences an enduring and haunting desire for death that feels omnipresent in her life. This longing is likened to a dial tone, an ever-present sound that signifies an underlying emptiness or disconnect. Just as a dial tone remains constant when a phone is picked up, her wish for an end to her suffering is a consistent part of her existence.
The comparison emphasizes the depth and entrenchment of her feelings, suggesting that this desire is not fleeting but rather a fundamental aspect of her daily reality. It evokes the sense that, like the background noise of a dial tone, her struggle with these thoughts is quietly persistent, shaping her experience and perhaps her interactions with the world around her.
