What we see in the world depends so much on who we are at the moment of seeing. Such stories may turn out to be gifts, like bread crumbs leading us out of a dark forest; or they may be terrible diversions, leading deeper into a maze we can never escape.
-- Dores (“The Sweet River”)

Importance: This quote directly addresses the shortcomings of human perception and understanding. Dores contemplates this when she is asked to share the truth, which she understands is subjective. Given the nature of her narration, Dores also understands the limits of her knowledge of others, even Graça at times. She defines such limits as an individual’s perspective, which is informed by personal experience. The truth, then, manifests merely as “stories” that influence us either positively or negatively. They feed the state of mind that formulate the opinion of the experience. These “stories” can bring us closer to the ultimate...