Unable to rid myself of it, since I heard your song humming ever in my head, beheld your feet dancing always on my breviary, felt even at night, in my dreams, your form in contact with my own, I desired to see you again, to touch you, to know who you were, to see whether I should really find you like the ideal image which I had retained of you, to shatter my dream, perchance, with reality. At all events, I hoped that a new impression would efface the first, and the first had become insupportable. I sought you. I saw you once more. Calamity! When I had seen you twice, I wanted to see you a thousand times, I wanted to see you always.
In this excerpt from "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame," the speaker expresses an intense obsession with another person, feeling haunted by their presence and idealization. The song associated with that person lingers in their mind, and their image dances in the background of daily life, making the speaker yearn to reconnect. There is a strong desire to reconcile the fantasy with reality, driven by the hope that seeing the person again will either fulfill or shatter the idealized vision they hold.
Upon finally encountering this individual, the speaker is struck by the overwhelming desire to see them repeatedly, showcasing a desperate need for connection. The narrator's feelings evolve from mere admiration to an insatiable craving for familiarity, suggesting that the initial enchantment transforms into a longing that cannot be easily satisfied. This captures the essence of how obsession can grow and lead to a deeper emotional conflict.
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