Artists are not cheerleaders, and we're not the heads of tourism boards. We expose and discuss what is problematic, what is contradictory, what is hurtful and what is silenced in the culture we're in.
Junot DiazRead
I can see myself watching him shave every morning. And at other time I see us in that house and see how one bright day (or a day like this, so cold your mind shifts every time the wind does) he will wake up and decide it's all wrong. I'm sorry, he'll say. I have to leave now.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote explores the complexities of intimacy and the fear of loss in a close relationship.
In this quote, Junot Diaz reflects on the anticipation of a typical morning routine intertwined with the anxiety of potential separation. The imagery of watching someone shave signifies intimacy and familiarity, while the coldness and shifting of the wind metaphorically represent the unpredictable nature of emotions and relationships. The bittersweet farewell suggests a deep emotional connection but also the inevitable fears of heartbreak and change.
Themes
RelationshipsIntimacyFearLossMorningChange
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the fears inherent in long-term relationships during a relationship counseling session.
More from Junot Diaz
All quotes →Run a hand through your hair, like the white boys do, even though the only thing that runs easily through your hair is Africa.
Junot DiazRead
Migration gives a blank cheque to put anything you don't feel like addressing in the memory hold. No neighbours can go against the monster narrative of your family.
Junot DiazRead
We all dream dreams of unity, of purity; we all dream that there's an authoritative voice out there that will explain things, including ourselves.
Junot DiazRead
I think 90% of my ideas evaporate because I have a terrible memory and because I seem to be committed to not scribble anything down. As soon as I write it down, my mind rejects it.
Junot DiazRead
When I read Toni Morrison and Sandra Cisneros as a freshman at Rutgers, it all clicked - that writing was all I wanted to do. It became my calling.
Junot DiazRead
Similar quotes
I used to think that I could never lose anyone if I photographed them enough. In fact, my pictures show me how much I’ve lost.
Nan GoldinRead
It isn't silence you can cut with a knife any more, it's interchange of ideas. Intelligent discussion of practically everything is what is breaking up modern marriage.
E. B. WhiteRead
A stiff apology is a second insult... The injured party does not want to be compensated because he has been wronged; he wants to be healed because he has been hurt.
Gilbert K. ChestertonRead
I still think it's important for people to have a sharp, ongoing critique of marriage in patriarchal society — because once you marry within a society that remains patriarchal, no matter how alternative you want to be within your unit, there is still a culture outside you that will impose many, many values on you whether you want them to or not.
Bell HooksRead
It's round the world I've traveled; it's round the world I've roamed; but I've yet to see an outlaw drive a family from its home
Woody GuthrieRead
Human beings are natural mimickers. The more youre conscious of the other sides posture, mannerisms, and word choices - and the more you subtly reflect those back - the more accurate youll be at taking their perspective.
Daniel H. PinkRead