How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
It's dark where I am and I cannot find the light. There are shadows all around me and my heart is full of fright. (16.1)
The poem Andy writes for his class talks about light and darkness, especially in connection with his emotions. It's too bad he never finds the light, because his friends certainly tap into it for themselves.
Quote #2
"You a trip, Keisha. You always see the bright side of everythin'."
"What can I say ? I'm a rose in the snow—the bright spot in your dark, seems-like-it's-always-depressed life." (19.13-14)
Here, Keisha and Andy talk about their outlooks on life since Andy is a downer and Keisha is more positive. Notice how she describes herself as being in the light, whereas Andy is in the dark. This theme crops up everywhere in the novel.
Quote #3
"Hey, Andy—would you turn my light back on?"
"Why? You scared of the dark, Monty?"
"No, I just want to be able to see stuff while I'm fallin' asleep." (21.1)
With his little brother, Andy gets confused about why the light needs to be on while he's sleeping. We can see that the darkness is scary, even when there's no reason for it to be, like when you're at home in your own room. We also see, though, that light is associated with seeing—something that, metaphorically, Andy fails to do clearly.
Quote #4
"The tones of black and white have the greatest amount of contrast between them, therefore writers and poets, who have always dealt with extremes in passion and people, use black and white to create those images of contrast. Can you think of any other example where color is used as a metaphor to express an idea?" (19.32)
When the idea of light and dark comes up in English class, the teacher explains some of the reasoning behind this common theme. Just in case we missed it in the book we're reading, we can learn about its meaning through this class discussion. Yay.
Quote #5
"Dag! Everything good that's dark, they take it and make it white!" (19.45)
Leave it to Andy to bring us down. His comment isn't just about darkness and lightness here; he's expressing how he feels about the world. For Andy, darkness cannot hold onto goodness.
Quote #6
"I mean I don't see myself at all. When I think about the future, all I see is a blank—and darkness." (21.36)
Gulp. We start to get some serious signs about Andy's feelings on life here, especially in connection to his future. If he doesn't see anything but darkness, he doesn't want to keep on living.
Quote #7
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage. (23.12)
This quote from Macbeth talks about the darkness, or shadows, of life. The class decides it means that life is no longer meaningful in any way—too bad Andy agrees.
Quote #8
"It was dark, so I couldn't see, and I was under the water, so I couldn't breathe. I tried to scream, but water got into my mouth and my throat and my chest. I was cryin' out for help, but my cries only made things worse. That's how I feel tonight, Mom. That's exactly how I feel tonight." (34.28)
Andy tells his mom about what happened on vacation and again turns to the idea of dark to express himself. It's clear that he connects with the notion of darkness since he can't breathe or cope any longer, even out of water.
Quote #9
"When I think about school, I feel like I'm in a dark, closed room, with invisible hands pushin' me from all directions, pushin' me toward a light I can't see. Some kids can see the light. Some walk around like they got lights screwed in their foreheads. Some just carry a glow, like Keisha. Yeah, Keisha shines." (38.16)
If we were told to use one word to describe Andy's feelings, we'd use dark. He thinks everything in his life is dark, because he can't make sense of it all. It's no surprise that he finds himself searching for answers when all he feels is confusion.
Quote #10
So I know Andy was afraid. His soul is probably still out there somewhere—floating in the darkness, looking for hope, hoping for forgiveness, and terribly, terribly frightened. (45.6)
B.J.'s prayer for Andy reminds us what Andy was feeling leading up to his death. He didn't know how to deal with the emotions and guilt he experienced after Robbie's death because it was all too raw and real. So raw and real, in fact, that B.J. envisions him struggling with it even after he's dead.