Every island to a child is a treasure island.
P. D. JamesRead
People were excited by violence. What, after all, was the sexual act but a voluntarily endured assault, a momentary death?
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote explores the intertwining of violence and sexual desire, suggesting both are intense experiences that provoke profound emotions.
P. D. James's provocative statement suggests that human excitement often stems from violence, drawing a parallel to the sexual act, which she metaphorically describes as a willingly confronted form of assault. This invitation to examine the complex relationship between violence and desire challenges conventional perceptions, compelling us to reflect on the darker aspects of human nature and the intensity of our emotional experiences.
Themes
ViolenceSexualityIntensityHuman NatureEmotion
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the psychology of violence and its portrayal in media.
More from P. D. James
All quotes βIf from infancy you treat children as gods, they are liable in adulthood to act as devils.
P. D. JamesRead
I believe that political correctness can be a form of linguistic fascism, and it sends shivers down the spine of my generation who went to war against fascism.
P. D. JamesRead
What a child doesn't receive he can seldom later give.
P. D. JamesRead
Open your mind to new experiences, particularly to the study of other Βpeople. Nothing that happens to a writer β however happy, however tragic β is ever wasted.
P. D. JamesRead
It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life.
P. D. JamesRead
Similar quotes
Nations are not ruined by one act of violence, but gradually and in an almost imperceptible manner by the depreciation of their circulating currency, through its excessive quantity.
Nicolaus CopernicusRead
When we discover that the truth is already in us, we are all at once our original selves.
DogenRead
The blessed Religion revealed in the word of God will remain an eternal and awful monument to prove that the best Institution may be abused by human depravity; and that they may even, in some instances be made subservient to the vilest purposes.
George WashingtonRead
It is not worth the bother of killing yourself, since you always kill yourself too late.
Emile M. CioranRead
I've always wanted to get as far as possible from the place where I was born. Far both geographically and spiritually. To leave it behind ... I feel that life is very short and the world is there to see and one should know as much about it as possible. One belongs to the whole world, not just one part of it.
Paul BowlesRead
The religions that fascinate me and, you know, could possibly tempt me are not the ones that involve faith or belief. They're the ones that offer you the opportunity to know the spirit or deity.
Barbara EhrenreichRead