Married couples who quarrel bitterly every day may really need each other as deeply as those who appear to be desperately in love.
Edward AbbeyRead
In the modern world, all literary art is necessarily political -- especially that which pretends not to be.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Literary art, regardless of its intention, is influenced by political contexts and ideas.
Edward Abbey's quote emphasizes that all forms of literary art are inherently intertwined with politics, suggesting that even works that claim to be apolitical reflect and respond to the political realities of their time. This assertion challenges the notion of art as separate from social and political discourse, highlighting the responsibility of artists to acknowledge and engage with the political undercurrents present in their work.
Themes
Literary ArtPoliticalExpressionResponsibilitySociety
In practice
Example use cases
During a panel discussion on the impact of literature in politics, this quote can be used to provoke thought.
More from Edward Abbey
All quotes →I love America because it is a confused, chaotic mess - and I hope we can keep it this way for at least another thousand years. The permissive society is the free society.
Edward AbbeyRead
If it's knowledge and wisdom you want, then seek out the company of those who do real work for an honest purpose.
Edward AbbeyRead
The earth is real. Only a fool, milking his cow, denies the cow's reality.
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I believe in nothing that I cannot touch, kiss, embrace.... The rest is only hearsay.
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Why can't we simply borrow what is useful to us from Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, especially Zen, as we borrow from Christianity, science, American Indian traditions and world literature in general, including philosophy, and let the rest go hang? Borrow what we need but rely principally upon our own senses, common sense and daily living experience.
Edward AbbeyRead
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