There's a kinship among men who have sat by a dying fire and measured the worth of their life by it.
Interpretation
This quote reflects on the deep connection and insights gained through shared experiences at critical moments in life.
William Golding's quote suggests that there is a profound bond among individuals who have confronted mortality and the essence of their existence while sitting beside a dying fire. This intimate setting symbolizes not only the end of life but also the introspection that comes with it, prompting individuals to assess their life's meaning and the relationships they held dear. It highlights how pivotal experiences shape our understanding of ourselves and our connections with others.
In practice
During a memorial service, this quote could be used to emphasize the value of shared experiences.
Consider a man riding a bicycle. Whoever he is, we can say three things about him. We know he got on the bicycle and started to move. We know that at some point he will stop and get off. Most important of all, we know that if at any point between the beginning and the end of his journey he stops moving and does not get off the bicycle he will fall off it. That is a metaphor for the journey through life of any living thing, and I think of any society of living things.
The skull regarded Ralph like one who knows all the answers and won't tell.
Maybe, he said hesitantly, maybe there is a beast. The assembly cried out savagely and Ralph stood up in amazement. You, Simon? You believe in this? I don't know, said Simon. His heartbeats were choking him. [...] Ralph shouted. Hear him! He's got the conch! What I mean is . . . maybe it's only us. Nuts! That was from Piggy, shocked out of decorum.
The mask was a thing on it's own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-conciousness.
Man produces evil as a bee produces honey.
Utopias are presented for our inspection as a critique of the human state.
Look at you in war...There has never been a just one, never an honorable one, on the part of the instigator of the war.
We cannot confront solitude without moral resources.
There are two victims in every abortion: a dead baby and a dead conscience.
It is perfectly possible to live a very moral life without a belief in God, and I think it's perfectly possible to live a life peppered with ill-doing and believe in God.
To venture causes anxiety, but not to venture is to lose one's self.... And to venture in the highest is precisely to be conscious of one's self.
The faith of those who live their faith is a serene faith. What you long for will be given you; what you love will be yours for ever. Since it is by giving alms that everything is pure for you, you will also receive that blessing which is promised next by the Lord: the Godhead that no man has been able to see. In the inexpressible joy of this eternal vision, human nature will possess what eye has not seen or ear heard, what man's heart has never conceived.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.