It seemed to be a necessary ritual that he should prepare himself for sleep by meditating under the solemnity of the night sky... a mysterious transaction between the infinity of the soul and the infinity of the universe.
Victor HugoRead
In this way, his unhappy soul struggled with its anguish. Eighteen hundred years before this unfortunate man, the mysterious Being, in whom all the sanctities and all the sufferings of humanity come together, He too, while the olive trees trembled in the fierce breath of the Infinite, had brushed away the fearful cup that appeared before him, streaming with shadow and running over with darkness, in the star-filled depths. (pg. 236)
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the struggles and suffering of humanity, connecting it to a historical figure's anguish and the universal experience of pain.
In this quote, Victor Hugo draws a parallel between the anguish of a contemporary figure and the struggles faced by a significant historical being, suggesting that suffering is a shared aspect of the human experience. The imagery of the trembling olive trees and the fearful cup evokes the weight of despair, while also hinting at the possibility of transcendence despite overwhelming darkness.
Themes
SufferingAnguishHumanityStrugglesDarkness
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the human condition during a philosophy class.
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Forget not, never forget that you have promised me to use this silver to become an honest man.... Jean Valjean, my brother: you belong no longer to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I am buying for you. I withdraw it from dark thoughts and from the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God!
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