Love, whether newly born, or aroused from a deathlike slumber, must always create sunshine, filling the heart so full of radiance, this it overflows upon the outward world.
Nathaniel HawthorneRead
Every crime destroys more Edens than our own
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on how every wrongdoing leads to greater suffering for others than just the perpetrator's punishment.
In this quote, Nathaniel Hawthorne suggests that every crime not only impacts the immediate victims but also engulfs the wider community in a cycle of destruction. It highlights the interconnectedness of humanity, illustrating that when one person's actions harm others, it results in a greater loss of innocence or paradise ('Edens') than one might realize, serving as a reminder of our collective responsibility towards one another.
Themes
CrimeInnocenceCommunityResponsibilityDestruction
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on the impact of crime on society, one could use this quote to emphasize the broader consequences of individual actions.
More from Nathaniel Hawthorne
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All merely graceful attributes are usually the most evanescent.
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There is so much wretchedness in the world, that we may safely take the word of any mortal professing to need our assistance; and, even should we be deceived, still the good to ourselves resulting from a kind act is worth more than the trifle by which we purchase it.
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Let men tremble to win the hand of woman, unless they win along with it the utmost passion of her heart! Else it may be their miserable fortune, when some mightier touch than their own may have awakened all her sensibilities, to be reproached even for the calm content, the marble image of happiness, which they will have imposed upon her as the warm reality.
Nathaniel HawthorneRead
The thing you set your mind on is the thing you ultimately become.
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