I have often told you that I am that little fish who swims about under a shark and, I believe, lives indelicately on its offal. Anyway, that is the way I am. Life moves over me in a vast black shadow and I swallow whatever it drops with relish, having learned in a very hard school that one cannot be both a parasite and enjoy self-nourishment without moving in worlds too fantastic for even my disordered imagination to people with meaning.

Summary

In this quote, the speaker compares themselves to a small fish living under a shark. They explain that they have learned to thrive by consuming whatever scraps of opportunities come their way, even if they may seem undesirable to others. The speaker acknowledges that they can either be a parasite, solely relying on others, or seek self-nourishment, but that pursuing the latter would lead them into a world too fantastical for their imagination to comprehend. Thus, they embrace their role as a 'fish under the shark,' content with their unconventional approach to life.

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