To shift the structure of a sentence alters the meaning of that sentence, as definitely and inflexibly as the position of a camera alters the meaning of the object photographed.
Joan DidionRead
To make an omelette, you need not only those broken eggs but someone 'oppressed' to beat them: every revolutionist is presumed to understand that, and also every woman, which either does or does not make 51 percent of the population of the United States a potentially revolutionary class.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that significant change often comes at the expense of suffering and that those in oppressed positions can become powerful agents of change.
Joan Didion's quote reflects on the complexity of revolution and change, emphasizing that progress often requires sacrifice and that those who are marginalized or oppressed have the potential to instigate significant transformation in society. The mention of 'broken eggs' symbolizes the costs associated with revolutionary acts, while the reference to women highlights the importance of recognizing their role and potential as a collective force for societal change, despite their varied experiences and backgrounds.
Themes
RevolutionOppressionChangeWomenSacrificeSociety
In practice
Example use cases
During a panel discussion on social justice, one might quote Didion to emphasize the necessity of recognizing the voices of oppressed groups in the fight for equality.
More from Joan Didion
All quotes →The truth is, it's easier for me to write than talk... to express the state I'm in at any time.
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Memories are what you no longer want to remember.
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It was clear, for example, in 1988 that the political process had already become perilously remote from the electorate it was meant to represent.
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I mean maybe I was holding all the aces, but what was the game?
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Do not whine... Do not complain. Work harder. Spend more time alone.
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THE FATHER: But don't you see that the whole trouble lies here? In words, words. Each one of us has within him a whole world of things, each man of us his own special world. And how can we ever come to an understanding if I put in the words I utter the sense and value of things as I see them; while you who listen to me must inevitably translate them according to the conception of things each one of you has within himself. We think we understand each other, but we never really do.
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I say people who feel they must have a faith or religion in order to face life are showing a kind of cowardice, which in any other sphere would be considered contemptible. But when it is in the religious sphere it is thought admirable, and I cannot admire cowardice whatever sphere it is in.
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