I asked her to look at me and after a few moments - (pause) - after a few moments she did, but the eyes just slits, because of the glare I bent over her to get them in the shadow and they opened. (Pause. Low) Let me in.
Samuel BeckettRead
For the only way one can speak of nothing is to speak of it as though it were something, just as the only way one can speak of God is to speak of him as though he were a man, which to be sure he was, in a sense, for a time, and as the only way one can speak of man, even our anthropologists have realized that, is to speak of him as though he were a termite.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that to discuss abstract concepts, we must frame them in more tangible, human-like terms.
In this quote, Samuel Beckett explores the idea that to effectively communicate about intangible subjects such as nothingness or the divine, we must attribute human-like qualities to them. This linguistic transformation reflects our limitations as human beings, where abstract concepts are frequently described using familiar language and analogies. Ultimately, Beckett highlights the inherent struggle in expressing complex ideas, revealing the interplay between language, perception, and the essence of existence.
Themes
NothingGodLanguageHumanExistence
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a philosophy class to discuss the nature of expression.
More from Samuel Beckett
All quotes →Nothing happens. Nobody comes, nobody goes. It's awful.
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I shall state silences more competently than ever a better man spangled the butterflies of vertigo.
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And what I have, what I am, is enough, was always enough for me, and as far as my dear little sweet little future is concerned I have no qualms, I have a good time coming.
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I love order. It's my dream. A world where all would be silent and still, and each thing in its last place, under the last dust.
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We lose our hair, our teeth! Our bloom, our ideals.
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