"This man, although he appeared so humble and embarrassed in his air and manners, and passed so unheeded, had inspired me with such a feeling of horror by the unearthly paleness of his countenance, from which I could not avert my eyes, that I was unable longer to endure it"
- Adelbert von Chamisso
About this Quote
This quote paints a vibrant photo of a male who seems simple and embarrassed, yet his countenance is so unearthly pale that it motivates horror in the speaker. The speaker is so transfixed by the male's pallor that they can no longer bear to look at him. This recommends that the male is not of this world, and that his existence is so disturbing that it triggers the speaker to feel a deep sense of fear. The quote likewise implies that the guy is not seen by anybody else, which the speaker is the only one who can see the guy's true nature. This might be translated as a metaphor for how people often neglect those who are different or marginalized, and how those who are different can be viewed as a source of fear and fear.
"When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said "Let us pray." We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land"