If she says goodbye perhaps adieu. Adieu - like those old time songs she sang. Always adieu {and all songs say it}. If she too says it, or weeps, I'll take her in my arms, my lunatic. She's mad but mine, mine. What will I care for gods or devils or for Fate itself. If she smiles or weeps or both. For me.

If she says goodbye perhaps adieu. Adieu - like those old time songs she sang. Always adieu {and all songs say it}. If she too says it, or weeps, I'll take her in my arms, my lunatic. She's mad but mine, mine. What will I care for gods or devils or for Fate itself. If she smiles or weeps or both. For me.

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This quote from Jean Rhys's Wide Sargasso Sea resonates deeply with the themes of love, madness, and possession. The speaker's acceptance of the beloved's madness, characterizing her as "my lunatic," highlights a profound sense of attachment and protection. There's a surrendering to fate and the forces beyond control — gods, devils, fate — showing that none of these existential concerns hold weight against the speaker's devotion.

The repeated use of "adieu," a word signifying farewell but tinged with a poetic, almost musical nostalgia, accentuates the inevitability of parting yet the persistence of love. The lyrical nature of the passage, with its references to old songs, gives it a timeless, haunting quality. This intertwines with the notion that love, sorrow, and madness are entrenched in human experience like the melodies of traditional songs.

Furthermore, the ambiguous emotions expressed—the alternation between smiles and tears—speaks to the complexity of human relationships, especially when fraught with pain and mental turmoil. The speaker's insistence that all these contradictions are for Him conjures a fierce devotion that borders on obsession, reflecting the turbulent dynamics often depicted in Rhys's exploration of identity and belonging.

Ultimately, this passage is a poignant meditation on love that defies reason and embraces imperfection, illustrating that profound connection often involves embracing the other wholly, in spite of societal views or harsh realities.

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May 25, 2025

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