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Such is the remorseless progression of human society…

“Such is the remorseless progression of human society, shedding lives and souls as it goes on its way. It is an ocean into which men sink who have been cast out by the law and consigned, with help most cruelly withheld, to moral death. The sea is the pitiless social darkness into which the penal…” quote by Victor Hugo
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“Such is the remorseless progression of human society, shedding lives and souls as it goes on its way. It is an ocean into which men sink who have been cast out by the law and consigned, with help most cruelly withheld, to moral death. The sea is the pitiless social darkness into which the penal system casts those it has condemned, an unfathomable waste of misery. The human soul, lost in those depths, may become a corpse. Who shall revive it?”

Victor Hugo

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Human society discards lives and souls, creating a dark abyss where the condemned suffer moral death, needing revival.

In simple terms: Society often neglects the condemned.

Key Takeaway

Seek to restore lost humanity.

Themes

society justice humanity

Mood

somber critical

Type

political social

When to use this quote

  • prison reform
  • social policy
  • human rights advocacy

Key Concepts

neglect moral death revival

Questions to Reflect On

  • What can restore a lost soul?
  • Who bears responsibility for societal darkness?
A Different Perspective

Revival may be impossible without systemic change.

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