To me, there is nothing higher than fiction. Nothing. It is fundamentally who I am. I am a teller of stories. For me, that's the only way I can make sense of the world, with all the dance that it involves.
Arundhati RoyRead
If you are happy in a dream, Ammu, does that count? Estha asked. "Does what count?" "The happiness does it count?". She knew exactly what he meant, her son with his spoiled puff. Because the truth is, that only what counts, counts....."If you eat fish in a dream, does it count?" Does it mean you've eaten fish?
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote questions the nature of reality and the significance of feelings in dreams versus waking life.
This quote explores the difference between dream experiences and real-life occurrences, pondering whether emotions and sensations felt in dreams hold any true value. The conversation between Ammu and Estha hints at a deeper philosophical inquiry into the nature of happiness and existence, suggesting that while dreams may provide a sense of joy or fulfillment, they are fundamentally different from tangible experiences in reality.
Themes
HappinessDreamsRealityPhilosophyExistence
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the meaning of happiness, you might quote this to illustrate the depth of emotional experiences.
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When I decided to write 'The God of Small Things', I had been working in cinema. It was almost a decision to downshift from there. I thought that 300 people would read it. But it created a platform of trust.
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In California, there are huge problems because of dams. I'm against big dams, per se, because I think that they are economically unfeasible. They're ecologically unsustainable. And they're hugely undemocratic.
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To call someone 'anti-American', indeed, to be anti-American, is not just racist, it's a failure of the imagination.
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