I really began to feel that the young were beyond me. I often appeared to myself a deceiver. Why? I didn't want to undermine her belief that Tivoli surpassed anything I had ever seen anywhere and that an afternoon in Tivoli, for example, was happiness squared; but I just couldn't feel that way about it.
The narrator expresses a sense of disconnection from the younger generation, feeling out of touch with their beliefs and experiences. He reflects on his own feelings of deceit, as he grapples with the disparity between his perceptions and the idealized notions that others hold, particularly regarding places like Tivoli. This inner conflict highlights his struggle to reconcile external expectations with his own reality.
This passage reveals a deeper philosophical contemplation on happiness and authenticity. While he recognizes the joy that others find in Tivoli, he cannot genuinely share in that sentiment. His acknowledgment of this emotional distance underscores the complexity of human experience and the challenges of navigating personal beliefs against societal ideals.
Rate the Quote
User Reviews
Other quotes in book quote
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!
