Jacob didn't want to coerce or be coerced, but what was he supposed to do? Sit on his hands waiting for his grandfather to shatter his hip and die in a hospital room as every abandoned old person is destined to do?
Jonathan Safran Foer
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In the novel "Here I Am" by Jonathan Safran Foer, the protagonist Jacob faces a moral dilemma regarding his elderly grandfather's wellbeing. He feels a deep conflict between wanting to respect his grandfather's autonomy and the fear of inaction as he witnesses his grandfather's decline. This tension highlights the struggles surrounding care for aging loved ones, reflecting both societal views on elder care and personal feelings of responsibility.

Jacob's internal struggle is further emphasized by his desire to avoid coercion, both to his grandfather and from others. He grapples with the weight of family expectations and the inevitability of aging, illustrating the often painful choices that come with caring for those we love. The quote attests to the emotional turmoil of waiting for a loved one's fate while confronting the harsh realities of mortality.

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Here I Am
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Jonathan Safran Foer
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February 21, 2025
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Other quotes in Here I Am

Sam enjoyed knowledge. The accumulation and distribution of facts gave him a feeling of control, of utility, of the opposite of the powerlessness that comes with having a smallish, underdeveloped body that doesn't dependably respond to the mental commands of a largish, overstimulated brain.
Jonathan Safran Foer Here I Am
Sam enjoyed knowledge. The accumulation and distribution of facts gave him a feeling of control, of utility, of the opposite of the powerlessness that comes with having a smallish, underdeveloped body that doesn't dependably respond to the mental commands of a largish, overstimulated brain.
Mark had said it wasn't too late in life for happiness. When, in Julia's life, would it be late enough for honesty? It was amazing how little changed as everything changed. The conversation was continually expanding, but it was no longer clear what they were talking about.
Jonathan Safran Foer Here I Am
Mark had said it wasn't too late in life for happiness. When, in Julia's life, would it be late enough for honesty? It was amazing how little changed as everything changed. The conversation was continually expanding, but it was no longer clear what they were talking about.
None of his colleagues or friends, or former colleagues or former friends, had died. Sometimes it amazed him that he'd managed to live forty-twoyears withoutproximity to mortality. And that amazement was always followedby the fear that the statistics wouldcatch up withhimandoffer a lot of death atonce. And he wouldn't be ready.
Jonathan Safran Foer Here I Am
None of his colleagues or friends, or former colleagues or former friends, had died. Sometimes it amazed him that he'd managed to live forty-twoyears withoutproximity to mortality. And that amazement was always followedby the fear that the statistics wouldcatch up withhimandoffer a lot of death atonce. And he wouldn't be ready.
Punch with your mouth and talk with your feet.
Jonathan Safran Foer Here I Am
Punch with your mouth and talk with your feet.
The inside of life became far smaller than the outside, creating a cavity, an emptiness.
Jonathan Safran Foer Here I Am
The inside of life became far smaller than the outside, creating a cavity, an emptiness.
She found the company that made her favorite architectural model trees. They weren't the most realistic, they weren't even well made. She didn't like them because they evoked trees but because they evoked the sadness that trees evoke.
Jonathan Safran Foer Here I Am
She found the company that made her favorite architectural model trees. They weren't the most realistic, they weren't even well made. She didn't like them because they evoked trees but because they evoked the sadness that trees evoke.
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Sociologists have a theory of the looking - glass self. You become what the most important person in your life {wife, father, boss, etc.} thinks you are. How would my life change if I truly believed the Bible's astounding words about God's love for me, if I looked in the mirror and saw what God sees?
Philip Yancey What's So Amazing About Grace?
Sociologists have a theory of the looking - glass self. You become what the most important person in your life {wife, father, boss, etc.} thinks you are. How would my life change if I truly believed the Bible's astounding words about God's love for me, if I looked in the mirror and saw what God sees?
Arisha noticed that all the greenery and trees were dying the more they walked on. They finally arrived at a large clearing of a hidden valley. But it was desert like, bounded by the foothills of the mountains on one side and the dry rocky bluffs on the other. It seemed strange to Arisha. It seemed like a little pocket of dry desert death in the midst of an otherwise lively area. She stopped, stunned by the sight before her.
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Arisha noticed that all the greenery and trees were dying the more they walked on. They finally arrived at a large clearing of a hidden valley. But it was desert like, bounded by the foothills of the mountains on one side and the dry rocky bluffs on the other. It seemed strange to Arisha. It seemed like a little pocket of dry desert death in the midst of an otherwise lively area. She stopped, stunned by the sight before her.
The heresy of one generation is the orthodoxy of the next generation.
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The heresy of one generation is the orthodoxy of the next generation.
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