It seemed to be a necessary ritual that he should prepare himself for sleep by meditating under the solemnity of the night sky... a mysterious transaction between the infinity of the soul and the infinity of the universe.
Victor HugoRead
Civil war.... What did the words mean? Was there any such thing as "foreign war"? Was not all warfare between men warfare between brothers?
Interpretation
What this quote means
Victor Hugo questions the nature of war, suggesting that all conflict is essentially a struggle among people who share a common bond.
In this quote, Victor Hugo reflects on the concept of war, specifically civil war, highlighting the idea that all wars, even those fought between factions of the same nation, are fundamentally wars between individuals who are interconnected. He challenges the notion of foreignness in warfare, implying that conflicts are ultimately rooted in shared humanity and kinship, as they pit brothers against brothers, regardless of geographical or ideological divides.
Themes
WarCivil WarBrothersConflictHumanity
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on the importance of peace, I quoted Hugo to emphasize the futility of civil wars.
More from Victor Hugo
All quotes βWhen two mouths, made sacred by love, draw near to each other to create, it is impossible, that above that ineffable kiss there should not be a thrill in the immense mystery of the stars.
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At that moment of love, a moment when passion is absolutely silent under omnipotence of ecstasy, Marius, pure seraphic Marius, would have been more capable of visiting a woman of the streets than of raising Cosetteβs dress above the ankle. Once on a moonlit night, Cosette stopped to pick up something from the ground, her dress loosened and revealed the swelling of her breasts. Marius averted his eyes.
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Thought is the work of the intellect, reverie is its self-indulgence. To substitute day-dreaming for thought is to confuse a poison with a source of nourishment.
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Taste is the common sense of genius.
Victor HugoRead
Forget not, never forget that you have promised me to use this silver to become an honest man.... Jean Valjean, my brother: you belong no longer to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I am buying for you. I withdraw it from dark thoughts and from the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God!
Victor HugoRead
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