Lines from The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
Dear Imaginers: As I mentioned in class, I am struck with the poetic nature of the lines themselves in this book. Can you please just select a quote or two and post in here?
Too late, thought Edward as Bryce climbed the pole and worked at the wires that were tied around his wrists. I am nothing but a hollow rabbit. Too late, thought Edward as Bryce pulled the nails out of his ears. I am only a doll made of china. But when the last nail was out and he fell forward into Bryce’s arms, the rabbit felt a rush of relief, and the feeling of relief was followed by one of joy. Perhaps, he thought, it is not too late, after all, for me to be saved.
"He saw the stars. But for the first time in his life, he looked at them and felt no comfort. Instead, he felt mocked. You are down there alone, the stars seemed to say to him. And we are up here, in our constellations, together. I have been loved, Edward told the stars. So? said the stars. What difference does that make when you are all alone now? Edward could think of no answer to that question."
“Sing for us, Bull,” the men shouted. Bull sat with Lucy leaning against his leg and Edward balanced on his right knee and he sang from somewhere deep inside himself. Just as Edward could feel Lucy’s whimpers and growls resonate through his body at night, he could also feel the deep, sad sound of Bull’s songs move through him. Edward loved it when Bull sang.
Edward landed with a most alaming thump, and then he tumbled and tumbled and tumbled down a long dirty hill. When he finally stopped moving, he was on his back, staring up at the night sky. The world was silent. He could not hear Lucy. He could not hear the train. Edward looked up at the stars He started to say the names of the constellations, but then he stopped. "Bull," his heart said. "Lucy." How many times, Edward wondered, would he have to leave without getting the chance to say goodbye? A lone cricket started up a song. Edward listened. Something deep inside him ached. He wished that he could cry.
1. "There's no point in going on if you feel that way. No point at all. You must be filled with expectancy. You must be awash in hope. You must wonder who will love you, whom you will love next."
2. "You disappoint me greatly. If you have no intention of loving or being loved, then the whole journey is pointless. You might as well leap from this shelf right now and let yourself shatter into a million pieces. Get it over with. Get it all over with now."
"He drowned inside of himself...It is a horrible, terrible thing, the worst thing, to watch somebody you love die right in front of you and not be able to do nothing about it..."
He prided himself on not hoping, on not allowing his heart to lift inside of him. He prided himself on keeping his heart silent, immobile, closed tight.
The rabbit felt dizzy. He wondered for a minute, if his head had cracked open again, if he was dreaming. "Look, Mama," said Maggie, "look at him." "I see him," said the woman. She dropped the umbrella. She put her hand on the locket that hung around her neck. And Edward saw then that it was not a locket at all. It was a watch. It was his watch."Edward?" said Abilene. Yes, said Edward. "Edward," she said again, certain this time. Yes, said Edward, yes, yes, yes. It's me.
"What was it like to have wings? Edward wondered. If he had had wings when he was tossed overboard, he would not have sunk to the bottom of the sea. Instead, he would have flown in the opposite direction, up, into the deep, bright blue sky." (118)
"Bryce carried his sister outside. He left Edward lying on the bed, and the rabbit, staring up at the smoke-stained ceiling, thought again about having wings. If he had them, he thought, he would fly high above the world, to where the air was clear and sweet, and he would take Sarah Ruth with him. He would carry her in his arms. Surely, so high above the world, she would be able to breathe without coughing." (137)
"Out of the corner of his eye, the rabbit saw something flutter. Edward looked over his shoulder and there they were, the most magnificent wings he had ever seen, orange and red and blue and yellow. And they were on his back. They belonged to him. They were his wings. (...) He could fly anywhere, do anything. Why had he never realized it before?" (163)
I chose the quote "You disappoint me" that appears throughout the book. The meaning of the quote changes so much depending on Edwards situation and who says it. It reflects his growth and awareness.
Too late, thought Edward as Bryce climbed the pole and worked at the wires that were tied around his wrists. I am nothing but a hollow rabbit.
ReplyDeleteToo late, thought Edward as Bryce pulled the nails out of his ears. I am only a doll made of china.
But when the last nail was out and he fell forward into Bryce’s arms, the rabbit felt a rush of relief, and the feeling of relief was followed by one of joy.
Perhaps, he thought, it is not too late, after all, for me to be saved.
"He saw the stars. But for the first time in his life, he looked at them and felt no comfort. Instead, he felt mocked. You are down there alone, the stars seemed to say to him. And we are up here, in our constellations, together. I have been loved, Edward told the stars. So? said the stars. What difference does that make when you are all alone now? Edward could think of no answer to that question."
ReplyDelete“Sing for us, Bull,” the men shouted.
ReplyDeleteBull sat with Lucy leaning against his leg and Edward balanced on his right knee and he sang from somewhere deep inside himself. Just as Edward could feel Lucy’s whimpers and growls resonate through his body at night, he could also feel the deep, sad sound of Bull’s songs move through him. Edward loved it when Bull sang.
Edward landed with a most alaming thump, and then he tumbled and tumbled and tumbled down a long dirty hill. When he finally stopped moving, he was on his back, staring up at the night sky. The world was silent. He could not hear Lucy. He could not hear the train.
ReplyDeleteEdward looked up at the stars He started to say the names of the constellations, but then he stopped.
"Bull," his heart said. "Lucy."
How many times, Edward wondered, would he have to leave without getting the chance to say goodbye?
A lone cricket started up a song.
Edward listened.
Something deep inside him ached.
He wished that he could cry.
there is two that I'm torn between :
ReplyDelete1. "There's no point in going on if you feel that way. No point at all. You must be filled with expectancy. You must be awash in hope. You must wonder who will love you, whom you will love next."
2. "You disappoint me greatly. If you have no intention of loving or being loved, then the whole journey is pointless. You might as well leap from this shelf right now and let yourself shatter into a million pieces. Get it over with. Get it all over with now."
"I am done with being loved," Edward told her. "I'm done with loving. It's too painful."
ReplyDeleteA quote from Nellie on page 69.
ReplyDelete"He drowned inside of himself...It is a horrible, terrible thing, the worst thing, to watch somebody you love die right in front of you and not be able to do nothing about it..."
"Caw, caw, said the Pellegrina crow."
ReplyDeleteHe prided himself on not hoping, on not allowing his heart to lift inside of him. He prided himself on keeping his heart silent, immobile, closed tight.
ReplyDeleteI am done with hope, thought Edward Tulane.
The rabbit felt dizzy. He wondered for a minute, if his head had cracked open again, if he was dreaming. "Look, Mama," said Maggie, "look at him." "I see him," said the woman. She dropped the umbrella. She put her hand on the locket that hung around her neck. And Edward saw then that it was not a locket at all. It was a watch. It was his watch."Edward?" said Abilene. Yes, said Edward. "Edward," she said again, certain this time. Yes, said Edward, yes, yes, yes. It's me.
ReplyDelete"What was it like to have wings? Edward wondered. If he had had wings when he was tossed overboard, he would not have sunk to the bottom of the sea. Instead, he would have flown in the opposite direction, up, into the deep, bright blue sky." (118)
ReplyDelete"Bryce carried his sister outside. He left Edward lying on the bed, and the rabbit, staring up at the smoke-stained ceiling, thought again about having wings. If he had them, he thought, he would fly high above the world, to where the air was clear and sweet, and he would take Sarah Ruth with him. He would carry her in his arms. Surely, so high above the world, she would be able to breathe without coughing." (137)
"Out of the corner of his eye, the rabbit saw something flutter. Edward looked over his shoulder and there they were, the most magnificent wings he had ever seen, orange and red and blue and yellow. And they were on his back. They belonged to him. They were his wings. (...) He could fly anywhere, do anything. Why had he never realized it before?" (163)
I chose the quote "You disappoint me" that appears throughout the book. The meaning of the quote changes so much depending on Edwards situation and who says it. It reflects his growth and awareness.
ReplyDelete"Open your heart," she said gently. "Someone will come. Someone will come for you. But first you must open your heart."
ReplyDelete"miraculously, the beautiful, buttery light of late afternoon shone on Edward's face." p.86
ReplyDelete