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When I was growing up, books took me away from my life to a solitary place that didn't feel lonely. They celebrated the outcasts, people who sat on the margins of society contemplating their interiors. . . Books were my cure for a romanticized unhappiness, for the anxiety of impending adulthood. They were all mine, private islands with secret passwords only the worthy could utter.
Jodie Foster
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Books can transport us to different worlds and provide solace, particularly during challenging times.

This quote expresses how books have the power to provide an escape and a sense of belonging for those who feel like outsiders or are grappling with their own internal struggles. Jodie Foster reflects on her childhood, illustrating how reading offered her a refuge from the anxieties of growing up and allowed her to explore the depths of her thoughts and emotions in a private space that felt special and exclusive.

Themes

BooksReadingSolitudeImaginationEscapeBelonging

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about the importance of literature in schools, this quote would highlight the transformative power of reading.

More from Jodie Foster

I have, in some ways, saved characters that have been marginalized by society by playing them - and having them still have dignity and still survive, still get through it.
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I'm not interested in being perfect when im older. Im interested in having a narrative. It's the narrative that's really the most beautiful thing about women.
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I'm an atheist. But I absolutely love religions and the rituals. Even though I don't believe in God. We celebrate pretty much every religion in our family with the kids. They love it, and when they say, 'Are we Jewish?' or 'Are we Catholic?' I say, 'Well, I'm not, but you can choose when you're 18. But isn't this fun that we do seders and the Advent calendar?'
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If I make two movies my entire life, and they're two movies that - whether they make a lot of money or two people go to see them - they speak of me, then I consider them incredibly successful. I don't need to be Steven Spielberg.
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With 'Taxi Driver,' I had this eureka moment. I realized that acting could be much more than what I had been doing. I had to build a character that wasn't me.
Jodie FosterRead
The best reason to make a film is that you feel passionately about it.
Jodie FosterRead

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