--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The unknown characters of writing seem to…" description: "\"“The unknown characters of writing seem to be endowed with an evil of life of their own as though sentient, and fain would wrest themselves forth from ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a4/e-hoffman-price-90627_evil_the-unknown-characters-of-writing-seem-t_74577.jpg" --- # The unknown characters of writing seem to be endowed with… ![“The unknown characters of writing seem to be endowed with an evil of life of their own as though sentient, and fain would wrest themselves forth from the parchment and wreak mischief on whomsoever gazes upon them.” quote by E. Hoffman Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a4/e-hoffman-price-90627_evil_the-unknown-characters-of-writing-seem-t_74577.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a4/e-hoffman-price-90627_evil_the-unknown-characters-of-writing-seem-t_74577.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a4/e-hoffman-price-90627_evil_the-unknown-characters-of-writing-seem-t_74577.jpg) > ““The unknown characters of writing seem to be endowed with an evil of life of their own as though sentient, and fain would wrest themselves forth from the parchment and wreak mischief on whomsoever gazes upon them.”” E. Hoffman Price ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing can seem alive, as if characters act on their own, creating eerie, mischievous effects on readers. **In simple terms:** Words can feel alive and cause mischief. Key Takeaway Respect the power of language. Themes creativity writing horror personification imagination Mood eerie thoughtful Type Evil:1 Horror:1 Life:1 Story:1 Writing:1 Sentient Fain:1 Evil Life:1 Endowed Evil:1 Wreak Mischief:1 When to use this quote - creative writing - horror storytelling - literary analysis - reading comprehension - author workshops Key Concepts sentient characters evil life authorial control Questions to Reflect On - How does personifying text change your reading experience? - What responsibilities do writers have when characters feel alive? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on personification may distract from narrative clarity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [How evil life must be if it were indeed necessary that such imploring cries, such cries of physical and moral wretchedness, should ever and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/how-evil-life-must-be-if-it-were-indeed-necessary-that-such-imploring/) [Emile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [Our character is but the stamp on our souls of the free choices of good and evil we have made through life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cunningham-geikie/our-character-is-but-the-stamp-on-our-souls-of-the-free-choices-of/) Cunningham Geikie > [I always considered an idle Life, as a real evil, but, a life of such hurry, such constant hurry, leaves us scarcely a moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-rutledge/i-always-considered-an-idle-life-as-a-real-evil-but-a-life-of-such/) Edward Rutledge > [“This was the thing that terrified me the most - more than the victim, more than the demon, more even than the dark thoughts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/this-was-the-thing-that-terrified-me-the-most-more-than-the-victim/) [Dan Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wells/) > [St. Jerome declares that he holds for certain, and has learned from experience, that he will never make a good end who has led…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alphonsus-liguori/st-jerome-declares-that-he-holds-for-certain-and-has-learned-from/) [Alphonsus Liguori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alphonsus-liguori/) > [“Well, no one says you can be happy about everything," I said. "I know I should be glad for you, Megan, but frankly I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/well-no-one-says-you-can-be-happy-about-everything-i-said-i-know-i/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [Life itself is neither a good nor an evil: life is where good or evil find a place, depending on how you make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/life-itself-is-neither-a-good-nor-an-evil-life-is-where-good-or-evil/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [An evil life is a kind of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/an-evil-life-is-a-kind-of-death/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [“One intriguing way to enter into the battle between good and evil, life and death, sanity and madness, is in the pages of fiction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-poe/one-intriguing-way-to-enter-into-the-battle-between-good-and-evil/) Robert Poe > [The real danger in life is not death, but living an evil life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/the-real-danger-in-life-is-not-death-but-living-an-evil-life/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [The life of any one can by no means be changed after death; an evil life can in no wise be converted into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-swedenborg/the-life-of-any-one-can-by-no-means-be-changed-after-death-an-evil/) [Emanuel Swedenborg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-swedenborg/) > [There is no real evil in life, except great pain; all the rest is imaginary, and depends on the light in which we view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-no-real-evil-in-life-except-great-pain-all-the-rest-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It seems to me that all of the evil in life comes from idleness, boredom, and psychic emptiness, but all of that is inevitable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/it-seems-to-me-that-all-of-the-evil-in-life-comes-from-idleness/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [Whether it is good or evil, whether life in itself is pain or pleasure, whether it is uncertain-that it may perhaps be this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/whether-it-is-good-or-evil-whether-life-in-itself-is-pain-or-pleasure/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [If a man has done evil in his life, he must not be complimented in marble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sumner/if-a-man-has-done-evil-in-his-life-he-must-not-be-complimented-in/) [Charles Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sumner/) ## More by E. Hoffman Price > [“There are dread secrets that none may know and have peace. More, secrets that render whosoever knoweth them an alien unto the tribe he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-hoffman-price/there-are-dread-secrets-that-none-may-know-and-have-peace-more/) E. Hoffman Price Explore all 2 E. Hoffman Price quotes ## More Evil quotes > [I've always been fascinated by the idea that there's no such thing as evil; it's all in your point of view. To one group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-there-s-no-such-thing-as/) [Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/) > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [I do conscientiously and sincerely believe that the Order of Freemasonry, if not the greatest, is one of the greatest moral and political evils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/i-do-conscientiously-and-sincerely-believe-that-the-order-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [What is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-done-out-of-love-always-takes-place-beyond-good-and-evil/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Evil cannot be "treated" -- nor should it be. Evil has to \[be\] confronted and destroyed and it matters not why the evil is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/evil-cannot-be-treated-nor-should-it-be-evil-has-to-be-confronted-and/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [The evil which does me no harm is like the good which in no wise avails me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-evil-which-does-me-no-harm-is-like-the-good-which-in-no-wise/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/attack-the-evil-that-is-within-yourself-rather-than-attacking-the/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nayler/there-is-a-spirit-which-i-feel-that-delights-to-do-no-evil-nor-to/) James Nayler > [The politician attempts to remedy the evil by increasing the very thing that caused the evil in the first place: legal plunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-politician-attempts-to-remedy-the-evil-by-increasing-the-very/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“Water is so friendly when you have it on your palms, but so evil when they have you on theirs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/water-is-so-friendly-when-you-have-it-on-your-palms-but-so-evil-when/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [THE ART OF PEACE is not easy. It is a fight to the finish, the slaying of evil desires and all falsehood within. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morihei-ueshiba/the-art-of-peace-is-not-easy-it-is-a-fight-to-the-finish-the-slaying/) [Morihei Ueshiba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morihei-ueshiba/) [Browse all 11,163 Evil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The unknown characters of writing seem to be endowed with an evil of life of their own as though sentient, and fain would wrest themselves forth from the parchment and wreak mischief on whomsoever gazes upon them.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "E. 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