Loss Flashcards
Similie for memory fading
Even if they fade, something remains. Like tiny seeds that might germinate again if the rain falls.
The heart retains something, like a slight tremor or pain, some bit of joy, a tear.
How does the narrator describe the state of hearts as things get thinner?
As things got thinner, more full of holes, our hearts got thinner, too, diluted somehow.
This kept things in balance.
What is the narrator’s perspective on reading novels?
If you read a novel to the end, then it’s over… I’d much rather keep it here with me, safe and sound, forever.
He prefers to keep it safe and sound, forever.
What does the old man say about worries?
Most things you worry about end up being no more than that—just worries.
What does the old man say about time?
Time is a great healer. It just flows on all of its own accord.
What metaphor does the narrator use to describe forgetting?
People seem capable of forgetting almost anything, much as if our island were unable to float in anything but an expanse of totally empty sea.
What question does the narrator ask about spring and summer?
If spring never comes, does that mean summer won’t either? How will the crops grow when the fields are covered with snow?
What does the narrator express about the creations on the island?
What can the people on this island create? A few kinds of vegetables, cars that constantly break down, heavy stoves, and more.
If this continues, the island will soon be nothing but absences and holes.
How does the narrator describe their heart?
I have to make do with a hollow heart full of holes.
What does the silence under the floor signify?
There was never any sign of someone living under the floor, yet this silence made me all the more conscious of his existence.
What does the narrator say about adapting to the secret room?
Perhaps it was necessary to rid oneself of everything that was superfluous in order to immerse completely in this airless, soundproof, narrow space.
How do memories change over time according to the narrator?
Memories don’t just pile up—they also change over time. And sometimes they fade of their own accord.
This process is different from what happens to others when something disappears from the island.
What does the narrator say about the need for novels?
Few people here have any need of novels.
What happens to the traces of the narrator’s father?
The traces of my father’s presence had vanished, replaced by an emptiness that would not be filled.
What question does the narrator ask about human beings?
But what if human beings themselves disappear?
What does the narrator experience in the hidden room?
Closed in the hidden room, I continued to disappear.
What does the narrator foreshadow about life?
You’ll see for yourself. Something will disappear from your life.
