The heaventree of stars hung with humid nightblue fruit.
James JoyceRead
Satan, really, is the romantic youth of Jesus re-appearing for a moment.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that the essence of rebellion and passion can be seen as a youthful counterpart to the purity of Christ.
James Joyce's quote plays with the concept of duality between good and evil by suggesting that Satan embodies a youthful, rebellious spirit that can be seen as a romantic counterpart to Jesus. This perspective invites contemplation on how radical ideas and passions can emerge as a challenge to conventional morality, highlighting the complex relationship between creation and destruction, purity and rebellion, in the human experience.
Themes
SatanJesusRomanticYouthRebellionDuality
In practice
Example use cases
During a philosophical discussion about the nature of good and evil, this quote can illustrate the complexity of human morality.
More from James Joyce
All quotes →I think a child should be allowed to take his father's or mother's name at will on coming of age. Paternity is a legal fiction.
James JoyceRead
If he had smiled why would he have smiled? To reflect that each one who enters imagines himself to be the first to enter whereas he is always the last term of a preceding series even if the first term of a succeeding one, each imagining himself to be first, last, only and alone whereas he is neither first nor last nor only nor alone in a series originating in and repeated to infinity.
James JoyceRead
Gentle lady, do not sing Sad songs about the end of love; Lay aside sadness and sing How love that passes is enough. Sing about the long deep sleep Of lovers that are dead, and how In the grave all love shall sleep: Love is aweary now.
James JoyceRead
I am tomorrow, or some future day, what I establish today. I am today what I established yesterday or some previous day.
James JoyceRead
The movements which work revolutions in the world are born out of the dreams and visions in a peasant's heart on the hillside.
James JoyceRead
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Can we ring the bells backward? Can we unlearn the arts that pretend to civilize, and then burn the world? There is a march of science; but who shall beat the drums for its retreat?
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