What is so painful about that time is that nothing was disastrous. It was all wrong, ugly, unhappy and coloured with cynicism, but nothing was tragic, there were no moments that could change anything or anybody. From time to time the emotional lightning flashed and showed a landscape of private misery, and then - we went on dancing.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Lessing describes a time that was unhappy and cynical but not tragic, marked by private misery and continued social activities.
- In plain terms
- That time was unhappy but not tragic, so life went on despite misery.
- What can you take from it?
- Life can feel wrong without being tragic, so people keep moving forward.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What makes misery tragic?
- Why do we keep dancing despite pain?
Another view
Some suffering does feel tragic and disruptive.
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