The more research you do, the more at ease you are in the world you're writing about. It doesn't encumber you, it makes you free.
A. S. ByattRead
As a little girl, I didn't like stories about little girls. I liked stories about dragons and beasts and princes and princesses and fear and terror and the Four Musketeers and almost anything other than nice little girls making moral decisions about whether to tell the teacher about what the other little girl did or did not do.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects a preference for adventurous and complex stories over conventional narratives about morality and conformity.
In this quote, A. S. Byatt expresses her childhood disdain for traditional stories that revolve around the moral dilemmas of 'nice little girls.' Instead, she found excitement and engagement in tales featuring dragons, beasts, and dynamic characters embarking on grand adventures. This highlights a natural inclination towards narratives that challenge conventional norms and embrace a broader spectrum of human experiences, illustrating the importance of imaginative storytelling over simplistic moral lessons.
Themes
StoriesImaginationAdventureMoralityNarrative
In practice
Example use cases
While discussing childhood reading preferences in a literature class.
More from A. S. Byatt
All quotes →It's because I'm a feminist that I can't stand women limiting other women's imaginations. It really makes me angry.
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Why do we take pleasure in gruesome death, neatly packaged as a puzzle to which we may find a satisfactory solution through clues - or if we are not clever enough, have it revealed by the all-powerful tale-teller at the end of the book? It is something to do with being reduced to, and comforted by, playing by the rules.
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Never stop paying attention to things. Never make your mind up finally. Do not hold beliefs.
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Only write to me, write to me, I love to see the hop and skip and sudden starts of your ink.
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I am a creature of my pen. My pen is the best of me.
A. S. ByattRead
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