Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandaled feet.
Interpretation
This quote encapsulates the duality of human nature, showcasing both darkness and light within a single character.
In this quote, Robert E. Howard introduces Conan, a complex character who embodies both the violent and melancholy aspects of existence, suggesting that the human experience is marked by a struggle between extremes. The imagery of Conan's journey to tread on 'jeweled thrones' reflects a defiance against the established power structures, highlighting themes of struggle, mortality, and the search for meaning amidst chaos.
In practice
During a discussion on the complexity of characters in literature, one might quote Howard to illustrate the duality of human nature.
Let me live deep while I live; let me know the rich juices of red meat & stinging wine on my palate, the hot embrace of white arms, the mad exultation of battle when the blue blades flame crimson, and I am content"......Conan the Cimmerian.
My characters are more like men than these real men are, see. They're rough and rude, they got hands and they got bellies. They hate and they lust; break the skin of civilization and you find the ape, roaring and red-handed.
He became absorbed beyond mere happiness as he felt himself exercising control over living things. He talked to them, urging them, ordering them. Driven back by the tide, his footprints became bays in which they were trapped and gave him the illusion of mastery.
Once you see that everything is unreal, you can't see why you should bother to prove it.
I can doubt everything, except one thing, and that is the very fact that I doubt. Simply put - I think, therefore I am
Whether at work, at home or in public, we have been trained to believe that who we are at the core of our being is often unacceptable. As a result, we work diligently to live up to - and sometimes down to - what others have made us out to be, whether or not it is an accurate reflection of who we are.
A miracle signifies nothing more than an event... the cause of which cannot be explained by another familiar instance, or.... which the narrator is unable to explain.
We don't make bicycles anymore. It's all human relations now. The eggheads sit around trying to figure out new ways for everyone to be happy. Nobody can get fired, no matter what; and if somebody does accidentally make a bicycle, the union accuses us of cruel and inhuman practices and the government confiscates the bicycle for back taxes and gives it to a blind man in Afghanistan.
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