I don't think the world will destroy itself in a nuclear cataclysm. On the contrary, we have the capacity to save ourselves and save the planet, and we will use it.
Isabel AllendeRead
My grandfather was dying, and told the family he had decided to die. ... At that moment I wanted so badly to write and tell him that he was never going to die, that somehow he would always be present in my life, because he had a theory that death didn't exist, only forgetfulness did. He believed that if you can keep people in your memory, they will live forever. That's what he did with my grandmother.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the idea that memories preserve the essence of those we have lost.
Isabel Allende presents a profound reflection on the nature of death and memory through her grandfather's perspective. He believed that through memory, loved ones could achieve a form of immortality, suggesting that the act of remembering keeps their spirit alive within us. This quote emphasizes the enduring connection between those who have passed and those who remain, encouraging us to cherish memories as a means of preserving our bonds with the deceased.
Themes
MemoryDeathImmortalityLoveFamily
In practice
Example use cases
In a eulogy, one might say, 'As my grandfather believed, he lives on in our memories forever.'
More from Isabel Allende
All quotes →My mother is a great artist, but she always treated her paintings like minor postcards. Had she pursued it, she would have been a great artist. Instead, she looked down on her art.
Isabel AllendeRead
I never try to convey a message, I just want to tell a story. Why that story in particular? I have no idea, but I have learned to surrender to the muse. I become obsessed with a theme or with certain stories; they haunt me for years, and finally, I write them.
Isabel AllendeRead
My life is about ups and downs, great joys and great losses.
Isabel AllendeRead
I'm interested in people who have to overcome obstacles, people who are not sheltered by the umbrella of the establishment, marginals.
Isabel AllendeRead
I'm a writer. In Latin America, they say I'm a Latin-American writer because I also write in Spanish and my books are translated, but I am an American citizen and my books are published here, so I'm also an American writer.
Isabel AllendeRead
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