Key Quotes in Notes from a Coma

Understanding key quotations is vital for excelling in your Leaving Certificate English exam. This selection from Mike McCormack’s ‘Notes from a Coma’ highlights crucial themes, character insights, and literary techniques.

Quotes on Existence and Consciousness

Quote 1: Reflecting on Patrick’s state

• Quote: “He was a man who lived in the shadow of his own absence.”
• Speaker and Context: This reflection from a narrator, possibly a journalist or observer, describes Patrick’s prolonged comatose state. It captures the paradox of his physical presence and mental non-existence.
• Analysis: The oxymoronic phrase “shadow of his own absence” powerfully conveys Patrick’s unique predicament. It employs metaphorical language to explore themes of identity, being, and the definition of life itself. This quote establishes the core philosophical inquiry of the novel.
• Exam Application: Use this to discuss the novel’s general vision and viewpoint on human existence, the nature of consciousness, or the impact of Patrick’s condition on others.

Quote 2: The nature of time in a coma

• Quote: “Time, for him, was a collapsed singularity, without beginning or end.”
• Speaker and Context: Narrator describing Patrick’s subjective experience within the coma. It attempts to articulate the incomprehensible passage of time for someone in such a state.
• Analysis: This quote uses scientific terminology, “collapsed singularity,” to describe a profound philosophical concept. It highlights the disorienting and abstract nature of Patrick’s existence. The imagery suggests a timeless, boundless void, emphasising his isolation.
• Exam Application: Relevant for essays on narrative structure, the exploration of non-linear time, or the novel’s philosophical depth concerning consciousness and perception.

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Quotes on Irish Society and Modernity

Quote 3: Rural Ireland’s transformation

• Quote: “The landscape bore the scars of a thousand new houses and a million new dreams.”
• Speaker and Context: A general narrative observation about the changing face of rural Ireland, particularly County Mayo, during the Celtic Tiger era.
• Analysis: This vivid imagery uses personification, “scars,” to suggest both the physical alteration and a sense of loss or compromise. The hyperbole of “million new dreams” captures the optimism and materialism of the time. It reflects the novel’s social commentary.
• Exam Application: Excellent for discussing the novel’s portrayal of contemporary Irish society, its social commentary, or the theme of progress versus tradition.

Quote 4: The media’s role

• Quote: “The media, a ravenous beast, feasted on his story.”
• Speaker and Context: Narrator commenting on the intense public and media scrutiny surrounding Patrick’s unique situation and the miraculous nature of his existence.
• Analysis: The metaphor “ravenous beast” effectively characterises the sensationalist and exploitative nature of the media. It highlights the invasion of privacy and the commodification of human stories. This contributes to the novel’s critical general vision and viewpoint on modernity.
• Exam Application: Useful for essays on the role of media, the loss of privacy in modern society, or the novel’s critique of contemporary values.

Quotes on Art, Storytelling, and Legacy

Quote 5: The power of narrative

• Quote: “Every life, no matter how quiet, was a story waiting to be told.”
• Speaker and Context: A reflective comment from a character, possibly one of the journalists, considering the profound impact and narrative potential of Patrick’s life.
• Analysis: This quote underscores the novel’s meta-narrative qualities and its exploration of storytelling. It suggests that every individual holds intrinsic narrative value. This reflects the novel’s overarching concern with how lives are documented and remembered.
• Exam Application: Use this to discuss the theme of storytelling, the construction of identity through narrative, or the novel’s self-reflexive nature.

Quote 6: Patrick’s artistic expression

• Quote: “His paintings were the only record of a life lived beyond the reach of language.”
• Speaker and Context: Description of Patrick’s artwork, particularly after his coma, as a unique form of communication. It reveals his internal world.
• Analysis: This quote highlights art as an alternative mode of expression when conventional language fails. It suggests a profound inner life existing independently of verbal communication. This reinforces themes of consciousness and alternative forms of understanding.
• Exam Application: Relevant for discussing the role of art, non-verbal communication, or the novel’s exploration of profound subjective experiences.

Related Pages

• Notes from a Coma Study Guide
• Notes from a Coma Summary
• Themes in Notes from a Coma
• Key Moments in Notes from a Coma