“ They were common everyday words—the familiar, vague sounds exchanged on every waking day of life. But what of that? They had behind them, to my mind, the terrific suggestiveness of words heard in dreams, of phrases spoken in nightmares. ”
Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness (1899). copy citation
| Author | Joseph Conrad |
|---|---|
| Source | Heart of Darkness |
| Topic | dream words nightmare |
| Date | 1899 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/219/219-h/219-h.htm |
Context
“I've been telling you what we said—repeating the phrases we pronounced—but what's the good? They were common everyday words—the familiar, vague sounds exchanged on every waking day of life. But what of that? They had behind them, to my mind, the terrific suggestiveness of words heard in dreams, of phrases spoken in nightmares. Soul! If anybody ever struggled with a soul, I am the man. And I wasn't arguing with a lunatic either. Believe me or not, his intelligence was perfectly clear—concentrated, it is true, upon himself with horrible intensity, yet clear; and therein was my only chance—barring, of course, the killing him there and then, which wasn't so good, on account of unavoidable noise.”
source
Meaning and analysis
