A tub was brought in to melt snow for mortar. They heard…
““A tub was brought in to melt snow for mortar. They heard somebody saying it was twelve o'clock already. "It's sure to be twelve," Shukhov announced. "The sun's over the top already." "If it is," the captain retorted, "it's one o'clock, not twelve." "How do you make that out?" Shukhov asked in surprise. "The old folk say the sun is highest at dinnertime." "Maybe it was in their day!" the captain snapped back. "Since then it's been decreed that the sun is highest at one o'clock." "Who decreed that?" "The Soviet government." The captain took off with the handbarrow, but Shukhov wasn't going to argue anyway. As if the sun would obey their decrees!””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A humorous exchange showing how official decrees can clash with natural reality, highlighting absurdities of bureaucratic control.
In simple terms: Bureaucracy can ignore nature.
Key Takeaway
Question authority when it contradicts facts.
Themes
bureaucracy
absurdity
authority
science
humanity
Mood
ironic
critical
reflective
Type
anecdotal
satirical
political
When to use this quote
- daily life
- government policy
- science education
- historical analysis
Key Concepts
social critique
satire
cultural commentary
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we balance official policy with empirical observation?
- When should tradition be questioned?
A Different Perspective
The anecdote may oversimplify complex Soviet history.