'With the dried blood stiff on my temples I climbed the hill, cursing the satanic way of men, yet knowing myself vile, for they had not known what they were doing, but I betrayed an innocent; and the tears- weak, whiskey tears- would not wash from my brow the blood of a little brother.'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- A narrator recounts climbing a hill while injured and drunk, cursing humanity but admitting his own guilt for betraying an innocent brother.
- In plain terms
- A man hurts himself and blames people while admitting he hurt his brother.
- What can you take from it?
- Guilt often lingers even when we blame others for their ignorance.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do we carry guilt?
- Is blame a defense?
Another view
The language is dense and relies heavily on specific imagery.
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