“you yourself can make it beautiful if you will.”
- Source
- Just David
- Date
- 1916
- Local voice
- Fictional character · David's father (letter)
Meaning of “you yourself can make it beautiful if you…”
David’s father tells him that even when the world appears bleak, his own choices and actions can still contribute something beautiful to it.
Where does it come from?
Just David, represented by Project Gutenberg #440. The sentence appears in a farewell letter from David’s father that other characters read after his death. It is framed fictional advice inside the novel, not Porter speaking autobiographically, and it does not imply that personal attitude can remove every external hardship.
Why the local voice matters
Just David. The sentence occurs in the father’s written farewell advice read after his death; it is framed fictional letter speech, not Porter autobiography.