Becoming Quote by Doris Lessing
“The novel has become a function of the fragmented society, the fragmented consciousness. Human beings are so divided, are becoming more and more divided, and more subdivided in themselves, reflecting the world, that they reach out desperately, not knowing they do it, for information about other groups inside their own country, let alone about groups in other countries. It is a blind grasping out for their own wholeness, and the novel-report is a means toward it.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Golden Notebook, Doris Lessing, 1962
The novel mirrors a fragmented society and consciousness, showing how individuals seek wholeness through stories that connect divided parts of themselves and others.
In simple terms: Novels reflect divided societies and help people find unity.
Key Takeaway
Use literature to explore and heal personal and cultural splits.
Themes
fragmentation
identity
wholeness
literature
society
Mood
reflective
hopeful
Type
analytical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- community building
- cross‑cultural understanding
Key Concepts
postmodernism
psychology
cultural critique
Questions to Reflect On
- How can reading foster genuine empathy across divisions?
- What role does storytelling play in personal integration?
A Different Perspective
Novels may oversimplify complex realities.
![“[The Golden Notebook] was not a trumpet for Women's Liberation. It described many female emotions of aggression, hostility, resentment. It put them into print. Apparently what many women were thinking, feeling, experiencing, came as a great surprise. Instantly a lot of very ancient weapons were…” quote by Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/002/doris-lessing-501_aggression_the-golden-notebook-was-not-a-trumpet-fo_1561542.jpg)
![“None of you [men] ask for anything - except everything, but just for so long as you need it.” quote by Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7ef/doris-lessing-501_asks_none-of-you-men-ask-for-anything-except_2807563.jpg)
![“The thought [behind the Golden Notebook] was that to divide off and compartmentalize living was dangerous and led to nothing but trouble. Old, young, black, white, men, women, capitalism, socialism: these great dichotomies undo us, force us into unreal categorization, make us look for what…” quote by Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cf0/doris-lessing-501_black-white_the-thought-behind-the-golden-notebook-w_696455.jpg)
