Ashamed Quote by Doris Lessing
““I feel sick when I look at the parody synopsis, at the letters from the film company... The novel is 'about' a colour problem. I said nothing in it that wasn't true. But the emotion it came out of was something frightening, the unhealthy, feverish illicit excitement of wartime, a lying nostalgia, a longing for licence, for freedom, for the jungle, for formlessness. It is so clear to me that I can't read that novel now without feeling ashamed, as if I were in a street naked. Yet no one else seems to see it. Not one of the reviewers saw it. Not one of my cultivated and literary friends saw it. It is an immoral novel because that terrible lying nostalgia lights every sentence.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Literary Critique, 1995
Denounces a novel for nostalgic, immoral nostalgia that feels shameful and exposing.
In simple terms: The novel’s romanticized past is morally troubling.
Key Takeaway
Critically assess nostalgic narratives for ethical implications.
Themes
ethics
nostalgia
literature
morality
Mood
critical
disapproving
Type
analytical
literary
When to use this quote
- book clubs
- academic seminars
- media reviews
Key Concepts
critical analysis
cultural memory
Questions to Reflect On
- When does nostalgia become harmful?
- How to balance artistic freedom with moral responsibility?
A Different Perspective
Subjective taste may differ widely.
