It is as though our dreams were watching us and directing our lives with external vigour whilst we simply enact their pleasures passively, in a swoon.
The quote suggests that our dreams play a significant role in shaping our lives, almost as if they possess a consciousness that guides our actions. We are portrayed as passive participants, merely following the desires and whims of our dreams without actively steering our own paths. This implies a certain disconnect between our conscious self and the deeper, often unacknowledged, aspects of our psyche.
Byatt's exploration raises questions about the nature...