Business Quote by Anita Brookner
““It was then that I saw the business of writing for what it truly was and is to me. It is your penance for not being lucky. It is an attempt to reach others and to make them love you. It is your instinctive protest, when you find you have no voice at the world's tribunals, and that no one will speak for you. I would give my entire output of words, past, present and to come, in exchange for easier access to the world, for permission to state "I hurt" or " I hate" or " I want". Or indeed, "Look at me". And I do not go back on this. For once a thing is known it can never be unknown. It can only be forgotten. And writing is the enemy of forgetfulness, or thoughtlessness. For the writer there is no oblivion. Only endless memory.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch, 1978
Writing is a desperate attempt to be heard and remembered, a protest against silence and oblivion.
In simple terms: Writing fights being and keeps memory alive.
Key Takeaway
Write to be seen and remembered.
Themes
expression
memory
voice
protest
identity
Mood
reflective
determined
hopeful
Type
philosophical
personal
When to use this quote
- personal confession
- public advocacy
- mental health
- social media
- activism
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology
literature
Questions to Reflect On
- What voice are you silencing?
- How does writing shape your identity?
A Different Perspective
Writing cannot guarantee change, only personal catharsis.
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