"After a sound drubbing followed by half a day's fasting, I felt more like laughing than like crying; and, in half a while, all was forgotten and my wickedness began afresh and worse than ever"

The quote from Stijn Streuvels presents a brilliant and somewhat paradoxical reflection on the durability and cyclical nature of human habits, especially in the face of penalty and effect. It exposes a reflective narrative where the protagonist experiences a "sound drubbing", symbolic of a serious reprimand or punishment, followed by "half a day's fasting". This combination of physical and maybe emotional correction appears to invoke an unexpected response-- among laughter rather than tears.

This portrayal suggests a disconnect in between expectation and reality in human emotions and responses. The expectation may be that penalty would result in regret or sorrow. Instead, Streuvels' character experiences a light-heartedness, "more like laughing than like weeping", showing a complicated interplay of defiance, durability, or maybe a release from stress. This could also mean the absurdity the character sees in their scenario or the inefficacy of the penalty, fostering amusement rather than repentance.

Additionally, the expression "in half a while, all was forgotten" points to the short lived nature of contrition and the human tendency to quickly move previous pain without deep, enduring transformation. The character's acknowledgment that "my wickedness started afresh and worse than ever" recommends a cycle of habits that punishment alone can not break. It underscores the concept that without internal change or understanding, external corrections might stop working to affect one's underlying inclinations or habits.

Streuvels' expression catches the essence of human nature's intricacy-- how quickly individuals can go back to their intrinsic behaviors regardless of external pressures to alter. It invites the reader to ponder the characteristics of individual growth, the efficiency of standard disciplinary techniques, and the humor that can be discovered in the drawbacks of both. The quote eventually raises concerns about the true pathways to ethical and behavioral change, hinting at the limitations of punitive measures in modifying ingrained propensities.