The librarian spoke in a reverential whisper. Corliss knew she'd misjudged this passionate woman. Maybe she dressed poorly, but she was probably great in bed, certainly believed in God and goodness, and kept an illicit collection of overdue library books on her shelves.
Interpretation
This quote reflects on the complexity of human beings and the assumptions we make about them based on superficial judgments.
In this quote, Sherman Alexie presents a nuanced perspective on a woman who, despite her unassuming external appearance, possesses depth and passion that Corliss initially misjudged. The librarian's soft, reverential whisper indicates a profound respect for knowledge and humanity, revealing how often we overlook the richness of individuals based on their appearance or societal expectations. This invites a deeper contemplation of character, virtue, and the hidden layers beneath the surface.
In practice
In a discussion about the hidden talents of others, this quote can be used to highlight the importance of looking beyond first impressions.
Gordie, the white boy genius, gave me this book by a Russian dude named Tolstoy, who wrote, 'Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.' Well, I hate to argue with a Russian genius, but Tolstoy didn't know Indians, and he didn't know that all Indian families are unhappy for the same exact reasons: the frikkin' booze.
My wife was the first romantic partner who understood both American and native parts of me - not so much the positive stuff, but the damage.
I draw because words are too unpredictable. I draw because words are too limited. If you speak and write in English, or Spanish, or Chinese, or any other language, then only a certain percentage of human beings will get your meaning. But when you draw a picture everybody can understand it. If I draw a cartoon of a flower, then every man, woman, and child in the world can look at it and say, "That's a flower.
We all have to find our own ways to say good-bye.
I write books for teenagers because I vividly remember what it felt like to be a teen facing everyday and epic dangers. I don't write to protect them. It's far too late for that. I write to give them weapons-in the form of words and ideas-that will help them fight their monsters. I write in blood because I remember what it felt like to bleed.
A lot of people have no idea that right now Y.A. (young adult). is the Garden of Eden of literature.
I have found that words that are loaded with pathos and create a seductive euphoria are apt to promote nonsense.
Genius is nothing more or less than childhood recovered by will, a childhood how equipped for self-expression with an adult's capacities.
Sometimes angels rush in where fools fear to tread.
Failing to grapple with complexity actually turns out to be a pretty bad life strategy.
And this gray spirit yearning in desire To follow knowledge like a sinking star, Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.
One must have the adventurous daring to accept oneself as a bundle of possibilities and undertake the most interesting game in the world -- making the most of one's best.
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