Reading was like a drug, a dope. The novels created moods in which I lived for days.
Richard WrightRead
He had lived and acted on the assumption that he was alone, and now he saw that he had not been. What he had done made others suffer. No matter how much he would long for them to forget him, they would not be able to. His family was a part of him, not only in blood, but in spirit.
Interpretation
The quote reflects on the impact of one's actions on others, highlighting the deep connection between family members.
Richard Wright's quote emphasizes the profound realization that a person's actions, driven by a sense of isolation, can profoundly affect those around them, particularly family. It suggests that family bonds transcend mere biological ties and that one’s actions resonate within the collective spirit of family, underscoring the importance of recognizing and valuing these connections.
In practice
In a family therapy session, this quote can be used to illustrate how one's behavior affects the whole family.
Reading was like a drug, a dope. The novels created moods in which I lived for days.
It had been only through books-at best, no more than vicarious cultural transfusions-that I had managaed to keep myself alive in a negatively vital way. Whenever my environment had failed to support or nourish me, I had clutched at books.
I was not leaving the south to forget the south, but so that some day I might understand it
Hunger has always been more or less at my elbow when I played, but now I began to wake up at night to find hunger standing at my bedside, staring at my gauntly.
It made me love talk that sought answers to questions that could help nobody, that could only keep alive in me that enthralling sense of wonder and awe in the face of the drama of human feeling which is hidden by the external drama of life.
I listened, vaguely knowing now that I had committed some awful wrong that I could not undo, that I had uttered words I could not recall even though I ached to nullify them, kill them, turn back time to the moment before I had talked so that I could have another chance to save myself.
Treating people the same is not equal treatment if they are not the same.
Russia, at the start of the 21st century, at least in its larger cities, very much resembled the United States of the early 1990s: being gay was no longer criminal or shameful, but it was still not a topic for polite conversation or public discussion.
Anchors are those people in your life who remind you of who you are - your values, aspirations, and worth - even when you forget. Keep them close and always let them know how much they mean to you.
Having a loving relationship with our spouse or with our children is what leads to the long-term happiness we all seek.
You know, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender - people are people.
It's going to take generations of gay people marrying before these things start to feel natural. We haven't had it long enough to remake it as our own, so it does feel like you're getting dressed up in straight drag to do it.
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