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
Inside each of us is a monster; inside each of us is a saint. The real question is which one we nurture the most, which one will smite the other.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the duality of human nature, suggesting that we all have both good and evil tendencies.
Jodi Picoult's quote reflects on the intrinsic struggle within every individual between their darker impulses, symbolized by the 'monster,' and their better nature, represented by the 'saint.' The essence of personal growth and morality lies in the choices we make and which aspects of ourselves we choose to nurture more, ultimately determining our character and actions.
Themes
DualityNatureMoralityGoodEvilChoice
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a psychological discussion about the nature of man.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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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