By the end, you should be inside your character, actually operating from within somebody else, and knowing him pretty well, as that person knows himself or herself. You're sort of a predator, an invader of people.
William TrevorRead
People run away to be alone,' he said. Some people had to be alone.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the idea that solitude can be necessary for certain individuals, highlighting the complexity of human relationships.
William Trevor's quote underscores the emotional and psychological need for solitude that some individuals experience. While many seek companionship, there are times when being alone becomes essential for personal reflection, healing, or simply to escape the overwhelming nature of social interactions. This dichotomy speaks to the varied ways people navigate their relationships and their inner lives.
Themes
SolitudeRelationshipsAloneSelf-ReflectionLoneliness
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of mental health, one might quote Trevor to highlight the need for personal space.
More from William Trevor
All quotes →The capacity you're thinking of is imagination; without it there can be no understanding, indeed no fiction.
William TrevorRead
My fiction may, now and again, illuminate aspects of the human condition, but I do not consciously set out to do so: I am a storyteller.
William TrevorRead
I read hungrily and delightedly, and have realized since that you can’t write unless you read.
William TrevorRead
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