Could she smell my breath? Could she hear my cursed circular heart beat revolving like the crime it is in my deathly chest?

About This Quote

The phrase “could she smell my breath” refers to the idea that an individual’s breath is a visible representation of their soul. The heart is considered the center of the body, and if one’s heart is trapped in sin, they are bound to suffer. This image of the heart as the core of your being is also mentioned in the Bible. However, it can also be viewed as a metaphor for one’s own soul.

The idea of someone else being able to smell your soul stems back to Greek Mythology where people believed that the soul was trapped within one’s body. When you died, your soul was taken away by Hades and you went straight to hell. An individual that has great pride is sometimes said to have a foul odor coming from them, meaning that they are armed with great pride and this pride will bear its own fruit through sin.

Someone who does not have pride will have a sweet smelling breath, meaning they are free from pride.

Source: The Book Thief

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