Obsessed by a fairy tale, we spend our lives searching for a magic door and a lost kingdom of peace.
Eugene O'NeillRead
It was a great mistake, my being born a man, I would have been much more successful as a seagull or a fish. As it is, I will always be a stranger who never feels at home, who does not really want and is not really wanted, who can never belong, who must be a little in love with death!
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects deep existential feelings of alienation and longing for belonging.
Eugene O'Neill's quote expresses the profound sense of detachment and dissatisfaction with human existence. The speaker feels that being born a man was a mistake, longing instead for the simplicity and freedom of being a seagull or a fish—creatures unburdened by the complexities of human emotions and societal expectations. This sense of being a 'stranger' highlights a common human struggle with identity, belonging, and acceptance, leading to a melancholic acknowledgment of mortality.
Themes
AlienationBelongingIdentityExistentialismLonging
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about identity and belonging, one may use this quote to illustrate the feeling of being an outsider.
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There is no present or future-only the past, happening over and over again-now.
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