Monologue

Oceana Monologue from The Naturewoman

From The Naturewoman by Upton Sinclair

female · philosophical · 1:38 min

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Why yes, now and then. But I don't permit such moods. You see, I have the conviction that there is nothing beautiful or right about sorrow--never, under any circumstances. (ETHEL: You mean you would not mourn, even if some one you loved were to die?) I mean that I did not. (She pauses.) Yes, exactly... my father. He had been my life's companion, and they brought him home drowned; and yet I did not mourn. (ETHEL: Oceana!) I had trained myself... for just that. We had made ourselves what you might call soul-exercises; little ceremonies to remind ourselves of things we wished to hold by. The Sunrise Dance was one of those. And then, on the last day of each month, at sunset, we would sit and watch the shadows fade, and contemplate death. (She pauses, gravely.) We would say to ourselves that we, too, were shadows... rainbows in the sea-mist; that we held our life as a gift... we carried it in our hands, ready to give it up when we heard the call. (A pause.)

About this piece

20s · melancholy · death · identity · family · freedom

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