Books Quote by Emma Goldman
“The most disheartening tendency common among readers is to tear out one sentence from a work, as a criterion of the writer's ideas or personality.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Anarchist Voices, 1910s collection
Readers often judge writers by extracting isolated sentences, missing the work’s full context and depth.
In simple terms: Judging by single lines ignores whole work.
Consider whole texts before forming opinions.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- book clubs
- academic essays
- literary analysis
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How might you misinterpret an author by focusing on one line?
- What benefits come from reading entire works?
A single sentence may misrepresent an author's true ideas.