How can it be?" she wondered. "I suppose I could understand it if men had simply forgotten unicorns {...} But not to see them at all, to look at them and see something else - what do they look to one another, then? What do trees look like to them, or houses, or real horses, or their own children?
In the story "The Last Unicorn" by Peter S. Beagle, the protagonist reflects on the strange phenomenon of people no longer recognizing unicorns. She grapples with the idea that instead of forgetting these mythical creatures, people perceive them as entirely different things. This leads her to a deeper concern about how their perception of the world is altered, compelling her to wonder what beauty and meaning they miss in their surroundings.
This contemplation raises questions about the nature of reality and perception—how individuals might overlook magic and wonder in their everyday lives. The unicorn’s invisibility to people symbolizes a loss of innocence and imagination, prompting readers to think about what other treasures might be ignored in a mundane existence. The protagonist’s quest suggests a yearning to reconnect with the lost marvels of the world and to challenge the limitations of perception itself.
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
Race of Cain, ascend to heaven, And cast God down upon the earth!
