Summary Of Willa Cather's 'Her Quick Look'

The author can remember the character of his former student Jane as if she was still alive for him to witness it for another time. Based off of the first five lines he describes Jane as being a quiet soul whose shyness caused her to be alert of others around her most of the time. "Her quick look" was given when the author addressed things to her and would ask her questions amongst the classroom. She did not have a loud, harsh voice but rather a soft, light voice where "light syllables leaped from her" as she answered his questions. Although, she was not use to reading aloud her thoughts for her peers to hear she was left satisfied with her own self in her answers. The author says that he could tell so by seeing her smile as "she balanced in
He also saw the damage that she was doing to herself not only physically but emotionally as well. Her deepest thoughts were enough to tamper even the purest water. The author explained this by saying she was "stirring the clearest water." Her thoughts were filled with disgusting and self hating thoughts that were stirring up her clear view of life itself. With so much self hatred within herself she lost sight of the good that she possessed. With her joy being taken away by her depression, it was her who chose to take her own life. The author wishes that he would have done more when you were still alive; he thought that maybe that could have saved you. He wishes he "could nudge you from this sleep." Jane...the girl who was quiet, yet superior in her thoughts and ideas, the girl who never bothered anyone with her problems...was now the girl who bothered the thoughts of the author. The author said "Over this damp grave I speak the words of my love." This was not the love as in her "father nor lover" but as a man who saw the girl for who she really was. The author loved Jane's spirit and the way she was all along, which was the quiet one that no one noticed until it was too