How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from Out of Africa.
Quote #7
KAREN: You're skipping verses.
DENYS: I leave out the dull parts.
Denys is right. "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" has many dull parts if you don't have the Shmoop Learning Guide. Karen, the professional writer, doesn't want to skip anything.
Quote #8
BERKELEY: Be careful. When the old map makers got to the edge of the world, they used to write, "Beyond this place there be dragons."
KAREN: Is that where I am?
A map isn't technically literature, but it's often used to denote great peril in our society. Map makers' verbiage has crept into our every-day understanding of our world. It's also a great way to remind us that Karen is out of her element, and that she'd better keep an eye on any "dragons" that come close.
Quote #9
KAREN: I had been making up stories while he was away. In the evenings, he made himself comfortable, spreading cushions like a couch in front of the fire. And with me sitting cross-legged like Scheherazade herself, he would listen, clear eyed, to a long tale, from when it began until it ended.
The importance of storytelling in Karen's life cannot be overstated. She was captivating to others and considered a conversational seductress in a time when conversation was a valuable social commodity. The woman could talk. And build a sentence. And we're guess that everyone who invited her to their parties knew it.