We took away your art because we thought it would reveal your souls. Or to put it more finely, we did it to prove you had souls at all.
There was a time you saw me once, one afternoon, in the dormitories. There was no one else around, and I was playing this tape, this music. I was sort of dancing with my eyes closed and you saw me.' '...yes, I remember that occasion. I still think about it from time to time.' 'That's funny, so do I.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the rare, intimate moments shared between people that leave a lasting impression.
In this quote, Kazuo Ishiguro captures the essence of fleeting connections and the impact of shared experiences. The characters recall a specific moment of vulnerability and joy, emphasizing how certain memories can linger in our minds, shaping our thoughts and feelings about one another over time. It highlights the beauty in simple interactions that can foster deeper connections and the resonance of shared music and dance, symbolizing the joy of being alive in those moments.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be beautifully utilized in a speech about cherished memories during a wedding.
More from Kazuo Ishiguro
All quotes →You need to remember that. If you’re to have decent lives, you have to know who you are and what lies ahead of you, every one of you.
I keep thinking about this river somewhere, with the water moving really fast. And these two people in the water, trying to hold onto each other, holding on as hard as they can, but in the end it's just too much. The current's too strong. They've got to let go, drift apart. That's how it is with us. It's a shame, Kath, because we've loved each other all our lives. But in the end, we can't stay together forever.
What I'm not sure about, is if our lives have been so different from the lives of the people we save. We all complete. Maybe none of us really understand what we've lived through, or feel we've had enough time.
If you were a boy and a girl and you were in love with each other, really, properly in love, and if you could show it, then the people who run Hailsham, they sorted it out for you. They sorted it out so you could have a few years together before you began your donations.
We all live inside bodies that will deteriorate. But when you look at human beings, they're capable of very decent things: love, loyalty. When time is running out, they don't care about possessions or status. They want to put things right if they've done wrong.
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