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Moonfleet · Chapter
Epigraph explained
The epigraph sets a reflective tone, contrasting the eternal innocence of boyhood with the inevitable passage of time and change.
What happens
The epigraph sets a reflective tone, contrasting the eternal innocence of boyhood with the inevitable passage of time and change.
Themes in this chapter
Coming of Age
The epigraph's reference to being 'a boy eternal' introduces the theme of lost innocence and the transition from childhood to adulthood.
Key passages
“We thought there was no more behind But such a day tomorrow as today And to be a boy eternal.”
We believed that each day would be just like the one before, and that we would remain boys forever.
This paraphrase captures the naive certainty of youth and the illusion of permanence.