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This was life! Ah, how he loved it! Civilization held nothing like this in its narrow and circumscribed sphere, hemmed in by restrictions and conventionalities. Even clothes were a hindrance and a nuisance. At last he was free. He had not realized what a prisoner he had been.
Edgar Rice Burroughs
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote expresses a deep appreciation for the freedom and beauty found outside the constraints of civilization.

In this quote, Edgar Rice Burroughs highlights the exhilaration of experiencing life in its raw form, unencumbered by societal norms and restrictions. It speaks to the idea that many people may feel trapped by civilization's conventions and realize only when they escape that they had been living as prisoners of their own making.

Themes

FreedomLifeSocietyConventionNature

In practice

Example use cases

In a motivational speech about embracing adventure and leaving behind societal norms.

More from Edgar Rice Burroughs

It must be that I am dreaming, and that I shall awaken in a moment to see that awful knife descending toward my heart- kiss me, dear, just once before I lose my dream forever." -Jane-
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Yes, I was a fool, but I was in love, and though I was suffering the greatest misery I had ever known I would not have had it otherwise for all the riches of Barsoom. Such is love, and such are lovers wherever love is known.
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It never seems to occur to some people, that, like beauty, a sense of humor may sometimes be fatal.
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No fiction is worth reading except for entertainment. If it entertains and is clean, it is good literature, or its kind. If it forms the habit of reading, in people who might not read otherwise, it is the best literature.
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Am I alive and a reality, or am I but a dream?
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I shall have to believe even though I cannot understand.
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