Word Wednesday: Mark Helprin

I hesitated to use this quote for Word Wednesday since I'm going to put up a book talk about In Sunlight and In Shadow soon, but I decided that I loved the book so much I could stand to talk about it twice. Helprin's novel was one of my favorites of the year - a love story that swept me away to another city and another time, but also an exploration of gender, religion, and class differences. This quote is part of Henry's response to another character's judgment about him based on what he "does."

He responds beautifully, explaining that he would rather judge a person based on what they choose to make of their life in spite of their circumstances. This parallels an ongoing conversation within the novel about Catherine's wealth, a distinction that casts a shadow over her accomplishments but that Henry simply sees as a burden she must carry as it, too, stems from an absence of choice.

I think the reason I was so drawn to this quote (and bookmarked it for later) was because this is simply advice on how to be a better human being: look at a person - not at who they are, what they do, or what they wear - and try to really see them. Think about how they choose to live their life, and whether they are someone you want in your own. As always, I'd love it if you'd share the quote(s) you're loving lately with me! Leave me a quote in the comments or here on my tweeter.