I never feel so much myself as when I'm in a hot bath.I lay in that tub on the seventeenth floor of this hotel for-women-only, high up over the jazz and push of New York, for near onto an hour, and I felt myself growing pure again. I don't believe in baptism or the waters of Jordan or anything like that, but I guess I feel about a hot bath the way those religious people feel about holy water.
The speaker expresses a deep sense of self-awareness and rejuvenation while immersed in a hot bath in a hotel for women in New York City. This experience lasts for nearly an hour, during which she feels cleansed and revitalized. Unlike traditional religious practices involving baptism or holy water, she finds her own form of renewal in the comforting warmth of the bath.
The hot bath serves as a personal sanctuary, allowing her to distance herself from the chaos of city life and connect with her innermost self. This moment reflects her longing for purity and clarity in a world that often feels overwhelming, emphasizing the profound emotional significance she attaches to this simple yet powerful act of self-care.