He felt his presence on earth being denied, even as he stood there. He was forbidden access; the past refused to admit him. It only reminded him that this arbitrary place, where he'd landed and made his life, was not his,

Jhumpa Lahiri
About This Quote

The power of the past to make us feel like we belong and the power of the present to remind us that we do not belong: these are two opposing themes in this quote. While we may want to go home and feel that we truly belong somewhere, there is a part of us that resists that idea. The past refuses to admit us or let us truly belong because it does not allow for such things. We may want to go home, but we can't because we don't belong there.

Source: The Lowland

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