Anger Quote by Eudora Welty
““There was one story that anger certainly lit the fuse of. In the 1960's, in my home town of Jackson, the civil rights leader Medgar Evers was murdered on night in darkness and I wrote a story that same night about the murderer (identity unknown) called "Where Is The Voice Coming From?" But all that absorbed me, though it started as outrage, was the necessity I felt for entering into the mind and inside the skin of a character who could hardly have been more alien or repugnant to me. Trying for my utmost, I wrote in the first person. I was wholly vaunting the prerogative of the short-story writer. It is always vaunting, of course, to imagine yourself inside another person, but it is what a story writer does in every piece of work; it is his first step, and his last too, I suppose. I'm not sure this story was brought off; and I don't believe that my anger showed me anything about human character that my sympathy and rapport never had.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Oral History of Eudora Welty, 1970s
The author describes using anger to enter a hostile character’s perspective, but finds empathy more revealing than rage.
In simple terms: Anger sparked curiosity, but empathy gave deeper insight.
Key Takeaway
Seek empathy over anger when exploring others.
Themes
empathy
writing
perspective
anger
characterization
Mood
reflective
introspective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- creative writing
- social justice
- historical fiction
- character study
Key Concepts
Narrative empathy
psychological immersion
Questions to Reflect On
- How can empathy transform hostile narratives?
- What risks arise when anger drives storytelling?
A Different Perspective
Anger may cloud judgment and limit understanding.
