Normal, in our house, is like a blanket too short for a bed--sometimes it covers you just fine, and other times it leaves you cold and shaking; and worst of all, you never know which of the two it's going to be.
Jodi PicoultRead
It was a catch-22: If you didn’t put the trauma behind you, you couldn’t move on. But if you did put the trauma behind you, you willingly gave up your claim to the person you were before it happened.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote explores the paradox of trauma and identity, highlighting the struggle between moving on and retaining one's past self.
This quote by Jodi Picoult illustrates the complex relationship between trauma and personal identity. It emphasizes that in order to heal and progress in life, one must confront and surpass their traumas. However, doing so may lead to a loss of the former self, creating an emotional conflict where the individual must decide between holding onto their painful past or embracing a new version of themselves that has emerged as a result of overcoming that trauma.
Themes
TraumaIdentityHealingMoving OnPersonal Growth
In practice
Example use cases
During a mental health seminar, you might share this quote to emphasize the importance of confronting trauma.
More from Jodi Picoult
All quotes →Whether it was power they sought, or revenge, or love-well, those were all just different forms of hunger. The bigger the hole inside you, the more desperate you became to fill it.
Jodi PicoultRead
she told me she'd be a phoenix." The image of the mythical creature rising from the ashes glitters in my mind. "They don't really exist." "She said that depends on whether or not there's someone who can see them.
Jodi PicoultRead
for 100,000 (dollars), you [can] flatten a house with a wrecking ball. Imagine how much less it [takes] to destroy something than it [does] to build it in the first place.
Jodi PicoultRead
But if you seek forgiveness, doesn't that automatically mean you cannot be a monster? By definition, doesn't that desperation make you human again?
Jodi PicoultRead
when you [lose someone], it feels like the hole in your gum when a tooth falls out. You can chew, you can eat, you have plenty of other teeth, but your tongue keeps going back to that empty place, where all nerves are still a little raw
Jodi PicoultRead
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