There was a moment during this time, when his face was on hers, cheek on cheek, brow on brow, heavy skull on skull, through soft skin and softer flesh. He thought: skulls separate people. In this one sense, I could say, they would say, I lose myself in her. But in that bone box, she thinks and thinks, as I think in mine, things the other won't hear, can't hear, though we go on like this for sixty years. What does she think I am? He had no idea. He had no idea what she was.
In this poignant moment from A.S. Byatt's "The Virgin in the Garden," the protagonist experiences an intimate connection with another person, feeling the closeness of their physical bodies. Yet, despite this proximity, he reflects on how their skulls—representing their individual minds—keep them separate. This encapsulates the tension between physical intimacy and emotional isolation, prompting deeper questions about understanding and identity.
He wonders what thoughts and feelings lie within her mind that he can never access, highlighting the barriers to true comprehension between individuals. The passage eloquently illustrates the paradox of closeness and separateness in relationships, as even after decades together, the essence of each person remains elusive and mysterious to the other.
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