--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In 'Pictures from an Institution,'…" description: "\"In 'Pictures from an Institution,' Randall Jarrell was able to transcend the academic novel by simply ignoring it, writing a comedy with no plot at all..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/539/cathleen-schine-12832_able_in-pictures-from-an-institution-randall_2196588.jpg" --- # In 'Pictures from an Institution,' Randall Jarrell was… ![“In 'Pictures from an Institution,' Randall Jarrell was able to transcend the academic novel by simply ignoring it, writing a comedy with no plot at all beyond his own pleasure in language and humanity itself.” quote by Cathleen Schine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/539/cathleen-schine-12832_able_in-pictures-from-an-institution-randall_2196588.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/539/cathleen-schine-12832_able_in-pictures-from-an-institution-randall_2196588.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/539/cathleen-schine-12832_able_in-pictures-from-an-institution-randall_2196588.jpg) > “In 'Pictures from an Institution,' Randall Jarrell was able to transcend the academic novel by simply ignoring it, writing a comedy with no plot at all beyond his own pleasure in language and humanity itself.” [Cathleen Schine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathleen-schine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Randall Jarrell’s work defies conventional academic narratives, opting for a playful, language‑centric comedy that values pleasure over plot. **In simple terms:** Jarrell ignored academic norms, wrote a language‑focused comedy. Key Takeaway Value artistic joy over strict structure. Themes innovation literary rebellion humor Mood playful intellectual Type literary critical When to use this quote - teaching creative writing - writing experimental prose - analyzing narrative form - celebrating linguistic freedom Key Concepts postmodernism language play Questions to Reflect On - What does “no plot” achieve? - How does language become the story? A Different Perspective May alienate readers expecting traditional story arcs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Academic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academic/) [Academic Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academic-novel-4807074/) [Beyond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beyond/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [His](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/his/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Ignoring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignoring/) [Ignoring Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignoring-writing-3037842/) [Institution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institution/) [Itself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/itself/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/own/) [Pictures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pictures/) [Pictures Institution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pictures-institution-4807073/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Plot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plot/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/randall-jarrell-4618077/) [Simply](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simply/) [Simply Ignoring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simply-ignoring-2069091/) [Transcend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transcend/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I was pretty dead set against ever writing an academic novel. 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