How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from Out of Africa.
Quote #7
KAREN: All gone.
DELAMERE: How did it start?
KAREN: I think God had a hand in it. He gave me my best crop ever, and then He remembered.
It's almost Shakespearean the way that fate keeps kicking this woman. Karen endures one misery after another until we're wondering why she doesn't just drop down and die. The fire is the final disaster that leaves her bankrupt and forced to leave Africa.
Quote #8
DENYS: You've ruined it for me, you know.
KAREN: Ruined what?
DENYS: Being alone.
KAREN: Have I?
Denys often refers to their romance as a restriction on his freedom. Somehow Karen is responsible for destroying his ability to be the center of the universe. This line is a tease, because he has no intention of committing no matter how much he enjoys her company. Then he dies. The film's attitude towards their relationship is fatalistic: it just wasn't meant to be.
Quote #9
KAREN: I've got this little thing that I've learned to do lately. When it gets so bad, and I think I can't go on, I try to make it worse. I make myself think about our camp on the river, and Berkeley, and the first time that you took me flying. How good it all was. And when I'm certain that I can't stand it, I go one moment more. And then I know I can bear anything. Would you like to help me?
Perhaps this trick seems like masochism, but it's actually pretty pragmatic. Karen's using her losses as a meditation; all this suffering teaches her how incredibly strong she is. It's almost like thinking about the painful times inoculates her against future pain. Since you can't fight your fate, you might as well learn to deal with it.