QuoteProject
She didn't dare to look up, but she could feel their frightened eyes hanging onto her as she hauled the words in and breathed them out. A voice played the notes inside her. This, it said, is your accordion.
Markus Zusak
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote illustrates the struggle of expressing oneself under pressure while acknowledging the support of one’s inner voice.

In this quote, the author describes a moment of vulnerability where a person feels the weight of others' expectations while trying to communicate her thoughts and emotions. The reference to an 'accordion' symbolizes the complexity and range of feelings within her, suggesting that despite her apprehension, she has the ability to express herself fully and harmoniously. It emphasizes the importance of self-expression and the inner strength that lies within individuals, even when faced with external challenges.

Themes

Self-ExpressionVulnerabilityCourageInner VoiceSupport

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be shared in a motivational speech about facing fears and embracing one's voice.

More from Markus Zusak

Just be patient, she told herself, and with the mounting pages, the strength of her writing fist grew.
Markus ZusakRead
It felt as though the whole globe was dressed in snow. Like it has pulled it on, the way you pull on a sweater. Next to the train line, footprints were sunken to their shins. Trees wore blankets of ice. As you may expect, someone has died.
Markus ZusakRead
Because you don't learn anything unless you can find the patience to read. TV takes that away from you. It robs you from your mind.
Markus ZusakRead
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.
Markus ZusakRead
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.
Markus ZusakRead
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.
Markus ZusakRead

Similar quotes

In a faraway land called 'pre-2000,' what Earthlings now call blogging was called 'keeping a diary.' It's hard work to do well. I tried doing it in the early 1990s but had to stop because I no longer had a life - instead I had this thing that generated anecdotes to go into my diary. The diary took over and I had to stop.
Douglas CouplandRead
He named me. He liked the sound of it. And I said, well, all right. I felt a little odd about it. I don't understand all that name changing business anyway... No, he felt that Lauren Bacall was better sounding than Betty Bacall. He had a vision of his own. He was a svengali. He wanted to mold me. He wanted to control me. And he did until Mr. Bogart got involved.
Lauren BacallRead
Life is a play that does not allow testing. So, sing, cry, dance, laugh and live intensely, before the curtain closes and the piece ends with no applause.
Charlie ChaplinRead
Life is a garden. It is an opportunity. You can grow weeds, you can grow roses; it all depends on you.
RajneeshRead
Growing up in Orangeburg, I didn't know that I lived in the 'corridor of shame.' I was the son of a single mom who learned to read from comic books. My grandparents helped raise me.
Jaime HarrisonRead
I have two moods. One is Roy, rollicking Roy, the wild ride of a mood. And Pam, sediment Pam, who stands on the shore and sobs... Sometimes the tide is in, sometimes it's out.
Carrie FisherRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.