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The commitment had disappeared, and although he still watched the imagined glory of stealing, she could see now he was not believing. He was trying to believe it, and that’s never a good sign.
Markus Zusak
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote reflects on the absence of genuine commitment in a relationship and the struggle to believe in something that feels unreal.

In this quote, Markus Zusak illustrates the complexity of human emotions and relationships, highlighting how a lack of true commitment can lead to doubt and disillusionment. The character's attempt to believe in the imagined glory of an action symbolizes the fragility of trust and conviction, suggesting that when one has to force belief, it indicates a deeper issue that may undermine the foundation of a relationship.

Themes

CommitmentBeliefRelationshipTrustDisillusionment

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about commitment in relationships, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of genuine belief.

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Just be patient, she told herself, and with the mounting pages, the strength of her writing fist grew.
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Or had she always loved him? It's likely. Restricted as she was from speaking, she wanted him to kiss her. She wanted him to drag her hand across and pull her over. It didn't matter where. Her mouth, her neck, her cheek. Her skin was empty for it, waiting.
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I think it's a mistake to think, 'Am I going to write a young adult book, or do I desperately want to write a book for adults?' I think the better ambition is to try to write someone's favorite book, because those categorizations of adult, young adult, become kind of superfluous.
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I could introduce myself properly, but it's not really necessary. You will know me well enough and soon enough, depending on a diverse range of variables. It suffices to say that at some point in time, I will be standing over you, as genially as possible. Your soul will be in my arms. A color will be perched on my shoulder. I will carry you gently away.
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