When it came night, the white waves paced to and fro in the moonlight, and the wind brought the sound of the great sea's voice to the men on shore, and they felt that they could then be interpreters.
Stephen CraneRead
It perhaps might be said--if any one dared--that the most worthless literature of the world has been that which has been written by the men of one nation concerning the men of another.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Crane critiques how literature often misrepresents other nations and cultures.
In this quote, Stephen Crane reflects on the idea that literature created by individuals about other nations can often lack authenticity and value, suggesting that such works fail to genuinely convey the realities of those outside one's own cultural experience. He implies that understanding and representing another culture requires more than mere observation; it necessitates a deeper engagement that is often absent in cross-national literary works, leading to misinterpretations and a devaluation of both the subject and the writer.
Themes
LiteratureCultureMisrepresentationUnderstandingAuthenticity
In practice
Example use cases
In a literary discussion about cross-cultural representation, this quote could highlight the importance of authentic voices.
More from Stephen Crane
All quotes →I saw a man pursuing the horizon
Stephen CraneRead
Two or three angels Came near to the earth. They saw a fat church. Little black streams of people Came and went in continually. And the angels were puzzled To know why the people went thus, And why they stayed so long within.
Stephen CraneRead
Sometimes, the most profound of awakenings come wrapped in the quietest of moments.
Stephen CraneRead
Tell her this And more,— That the king of the seas Weeps too, old, helpless man. The bustling fates Heap his hands with corpses Until he stands like a child With surplus of toys.
Stephen CraneRead
Over the river a golden ray of sun came through the hosts of leaden rain clouds.
Stephen CraneRead
Similar quotes
Two questions form the foundation of all novels: "What if?" and "What next?" (A third question, "What now?", is one the author asks himself every 10 minutes or so; but it's more a cry than a question.) Every novel begins with the speculative question, What if "X" happened? That's how you start.
Tom ClancyRead
I would solve a lot of literary problems just thinking about a character in the subway, where you can't do anything anyway.
Toni MorrisonRead
He was the man who of all modern, and perhaps ancient poets, had the largest and most comprehensive soul. . . . He was naturally learn'd; he needed not the spectacles of books to read Nature; he looked inwards, and found her there. . . . He is many times flat, insipid; his comic wit degenerating in to clenches, his serious swelling into bombast. But he is always great, when some occasion is presented to him.
John DrydenRead
Nobody reads a mystery to get to the middle. They read it to get to the end. If it's a letdown, they won't buy anymore. The first page sells that book. The last page sells your next book.
Mickey SpillaneRead
Books and marriage go ill together.
MoliereRead
I have this belief that we are so vulnerable when we open ourselves up to literature. We're reminded of these real parts of ourselves.
Tracy K. SmithRead