Of the widow's countless death-duties there is really just one that matters: on the first anniversary of her husband's death the widow should think I kept myself alive.
Joyce Carol OatesRead
I should say, one of the things about being a widow or a widower, you really, really need a sense of humor, because everything's going to fall apart.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Humor is essential for coping with loss and the chaos of life as a widow or widower.
In this quote, Joyce Carol Oates emphasizes the importance of maintaining a sense of humor in the face of grief and the challenges that come with being a widow or widower. She highlights how life can become overwhelming after losing a spouse, and humor serves as a vital tool for navigating the difficulties and emotional turmoil during such a time.
Themes
HumorGriefLossWidowWidowerCoping
In practice
Example use cases
During a support group meeting for those who have lost a spouse, this quote can be shared to highlight the importance of laughter in healing.
More from Joyce Carol Oates
All quotes →I never really knew I wanted to 'be' a writer, but I was always writing from a very young age. It became more conscious as an ideal when I was in my twenties.
Joyce Carol OatesRead
I'm drawn to write about upstate New York in the way in which a dreamer might have recurring dreams. My childhood and girlhood were spent in upstate New York, in the country north of Buffalo and West of Rochester. So this part of New York state is very familiar to me and, with its economic difficulties, has become emblematic of much of American life.
Joyce Carol OatesRead
My writing is often a way of 'bearing witness' for others who lack the education and the opportunity to tell their own stories, so I hope that my writing won't be affected too much by my personal life.
Joyce Carol OatesRead
The worst cynicism: a belief in luck.
Joyce Carol OatesRead
. . . there is a wish in the heart of mankind to be distracted and confused. Truth is but one attraction, and not always the most powerful.
Joyce Carol OatesRead
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