Was it always my nature to take a bad time and block out the good times, until any success became an accident and failure seemed the only truth?
Lillian HellmanRead
There are people who eat the earth and eat all the people on it like in the Bible with the locusts. And other people who stand around and watch them eat.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the nature of humanity, highlighting those who take advantage of others and those who remain passive.
Lillian Hellman's quote serves as a poignant commentary on human behavior and morality. It suggests that there are individuals who aggressively consume resources and exploit others, similar to the destructive nature of locusts mentioned in the Bible. In contrast, there are also those who observe this destruction without intervening. This juxtaposition prompts reflection on the roles people play in society – whether as active participants or passive witnesses – and grapples with the moral responsibilities we carry towards each other.
Themes
HumanityMoralityExploitationPassivityResponsibility
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a discussion on social justice to emphasize the need for active participation.
More from Lillian Hellman
All quotes →If I had to give young writers advice, I would say don't listen to writers talking about writing or themselves.
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It is best to act with confidence, no matter how little right you have to it.
Lillian HellmanRead
If you believe, as the Greeks did, that man is at the mercy of the gods, then you write tragedy. The end is inevitable from the beginning. But if you believe that man can solve his own problems and is at nobody's mercy, then you will probably write melodrama.
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Nobody knows what you want except you. And nobody will be as sorry as you if you don't get it. Wanting some other way to live is proof enough of deserving it. Having it is hard work, but not having it is sheer hell.
Lillian HellmanRead
Failure in the theater is more dramatic and uglier than any other form of writing. It costs so much, you feel so guilty.
Lillian HellmanRead
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