Insecurity twists meanings and poisons trust. In a closely beleaguered city every sentry is a potential traitor.
Graham GreeneRead
Except for the sound of the rain, on the road, on the roofs, on the umbrella, there was absolute silence: only the dying moan of the sirens continued for a moment or two to vibrate within the ear. It seemed to Scobie later that this was the ultimate border he had reached in happiness: being in darkness, alone, with the rain falling, without love or pity.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the solitude and emptiness that can accompany a moment of silence amidst external noise.
In this quote, Graham Greene explores a moment of deep introspection where the protagonist, Scobie, finds a profound sense of emptiness and isolation despite the sensory experience of rain and distant sirens. The juxtaposition of the soothing sound of rain against the backdrop of loneliness and lack of emotional connection illustrates a poignant truth about human existence—happiness is not merely a result of external circumstances, but is deeply intertwined with one's emotional state and connections with others.
Themes
HappinessLonelinessSilenceRainIntrospection
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a discussion on mental health to illustrate the complexity of feeling alone even in a bustling world.
More from Graham Greene
All quotes →It seemed to Scobie that life was immeasurably long. Couldn’t the test of man have been carried out in fewer years? Couldn’t we have committed our first major sin at seven, have ruined ourselves for love or hate at ten, have clutched at redemption on a fifteen-year-old deathbed?
Graham GreeneRead
God is love. I don't say the heart doesn't feel a taste of it, but what a taste. The smallest glass of love mixed with a pint pot of ditch-water. We wouldn't recognize that love. It might even look like hate. It would be enough to scare us - God's love.
Graham GreeneRead
Of two hearts one is always warm and one is always cold: the cold heart is more precious than diamonds: the warm heart has no value and is thrown away.
Graham GreeneRead
Writing is a form of therapy; sometimes I wonder how all those who do not write, compose or paint can manage to escape the madness, melancholia, the panic and fear which is inherent in a human situation.
Graham GreeneRead
Champagne, if you are seeking the truth, is better than a lie detector. It encourages a man to be expansive, even reckless, while lie detectors are only a challenge to tell lies successfully.
Graham GreeneRead
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