Famous quote by George Crook

"When I jerked it out the head remained in my leg, where it remains still. There were a couple of inches of blood on the shaft of the arrow when I pulled it out"

About this Quote

When George Crook describes pulling an arrow from his leg and discovering that the head remained embedded, he evokes a moment of physical pain and enduring trauma. The vivid imagery, "a couple of inches of blood on the shaft", provides a visceral sense of the injury's severity, emphasizing not only the damage but also Crook's fortitude in responding to it. The arrow's removal is not a clean resolution; instead, the ordeal becomes a lingering wound, both physically and metaphorically, as the arrowhead remains lodged in his body.

The description of the head still inside ensures a sense of incompleteness and unresolved suffering. The wound is not simply a momentary pain; it is transformed into a constant presence within his life. By noting that the arrowhead "remains still", Crook invites readers to reflect on the lasting impact of such injuries, how they cannot be easily excised or forgotten. This permanent reminder, the foreign object buried in his flesh, may also symbolize the psychological scars left by violent encounters or hardships in Crook’s experiences as a soldier and frontier figure.

The reference to blood on the arrow’s shaft dramatizes the immediacy and rawness of the encounter. Blood here is not only literal but also indicates the high stakes of survival, the proximity to mortality. The act of “jerking” the arrow reflects a moment of desperation and instinct, rather than careful medical attention, hinting at the brutal conditions Crook and others often faced. The entire episode demonstrates both an acceptance of pain and a kind of stoic endurance, qualities prized in the cultural context of Crook’s era. Pain becomes a companion, shaping a man’s character and memory. The embedded arrowhead stands as an unhealed fragment of the past, a testimony to resilience, vulnerability, and the scars, visible or hidden, that are carried forward through life.

About the Author

George Crook This quote is written / told by George Crook between September 8, 1828 and March 21, 1890. He was a famous Soldier from USA. The author also have 16 other quotes.
Go to author profile

Similar Quotes

Phil Spector, Businessman