The strange power of art is sometimes it can show that what people have in common is more urgent than what differentiates them. It seems to me it's something that theatre can do, but it's rare; it's very rare.
John BergerRead
In the modern world, in which thousands of people are dying every hour as a consequence of politics, no writing anywhere can begin to be credible unless it is informed by political awareness and principles. Writers who have neither product utopian trash.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Writers must have political awareness to produce credible work in today's world where politics can have dire consequences.
John Berger emphasizes the critical need for writers to engage with political realities and principles in their work. In a time when political actions and decisions lead to significant human suffering, literature that ignores these elements lacks credibility and relevance, potentially leading to an unrealistic or idealistic portrayal of the world. Berger warns against utopian narratives that fail to acknowledge the harsh truths of political consequences.
Themes
PoliticsWritingCredibilityAwarenessUtopia
In practice
Example use cases
During a literature festival, discussing how writers should reflect political realities in their storytelling.
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