Question

"The voice of my education said to me / He must be killed"

Hint:

This quote is from *The God of Small Things* by Arundhati Roy, where it reflects the psychological and societal pressures that shape the characters' fates in the novel.

Answer 1

Explanation: These lines are from D.H. Lawrence's poem, "Snake." They represent the internal conflict the poet experiences. The "voice of my education" refers to the conditioned, societal part of his mind. This is the voice of human prejudice, which has taught him that snakes are dangerous enemies and should be killed on sight. This thought is not a spontaneous, natural instinct but a learned response. It stands in stark contrast to his other, more primal feeling of admiration for the snake as a magnificent creature of nature. The conflict between this "educated" voice of fear and his innate respect for life forms the central theme of the poem.