"I am surprised that I cannot recall whether my desire to become a minister transformed itself into a wish to lead the more militant life of missionary, by a slow process or suddenly"

This quote by Pierre Loti reviews the transformation of his desire to become a minister into a wish to lead a more militant life as a missionary. He is amazed that he can not remember the exact process of this transformation, whether it was a progressive process or an unexpected change. This recommends that the improvement was so significant that it has left a long lasting impression on him, yet he is not able to remember the precise information of how it occurred. It is possible that the improvement was so extensive that it has become a part of his identity, and he is now unable to separate the two desires. This quote reviews the power of improvement and how it can form our lives in unexpected methods.