One of the first signs of the beginnings of understanding is the wish to die. This life appears unbearable, another unattainable. One is no longer ashamed of wanting to die; one asks to be moved from the old cell, which one hates, to a new one, which one will only in time come to hate.
Bio: Mary Proctor was an American popularizer of astronomy. She never became a professional astronomer but is widely known for numerous articles and books on the subject.
