Human animal Quote by Alice Walker
““The longer I am a writer--so long now that my writing finger is periodically numb--the better I understand what writing is; what its function is; what it is supposed to do. I learn that the writer's pen is a microphone held up to the mouths of ancestors and even stones of long ago. That once given permission by the writer--a fool, and so why should one fear?--horses, dogs, rivers, and, yes, chickens can step forward and expound on their lives. The magic of this is not so much in the power of the microphone as in the ability of the nonhuman object or animal to BE and the human animal to PERCEIVE ITS BEING.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: The New Yorker, Alice Walker, 1990
Writing is a conduit that lets voices of the past—human and nonhuman—speak, inviting us to perceive their existence.
In simple terms: Writing lets old and nonhuman voices be heard.
Key Takeaway
Listen to all voices through your words.
Themes
creativity
voice
history
perception
nonhuman
connection
Mood
reflective
thoughtful
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- storytelling
- environmental advocacy
- cultural preservation
- artistic expression
Key Concepts
narrative theory
ecocriticism
anthropocentrism
Questions to Reflect On
- What stories can nonhuman entities tell?
- How does hearing the past change present actions?
A Different Perspective
Not all audiences accept nonhuman perspectives; risk of misinterpretation.
![“The [human] animal cannot cope with [dense confinement]; indeed, it is programmed to resist it. It must resist it, in the interest of survival.” quote by John Livingston, from "Rogue Primate: An Investigation Into Human Domestication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/85c/john-livingston-from-rogue-pri_animal_the-human-animal-cannot-cope-with-dense_142766.jpg)
![“The human animal, like others, is adapted to a certain amount of struggle for life [and] the mere absence of effort from his life removes an essential ingredient of happiness. [. . .] He forgets that to be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/218/bertrand-russell-69_absence_the-human-animal-like-others-is-adapted_281043.jpg)
