Books Quote by Hilary Mantel
““He cannot lock us all up.” “He has prisons enough.” “For bodies, yes. But what are bodies? He can take our goods, but God will prosper us. He can close the booksellers, but still there will be books. They have their old bones, their glass saints in windows, their candles and shrines, but God has given us the printing press.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Mirror & the Light, 2020
The passage argues that physical confinement cannot suppress ideas; knowledge persists through printing and faith.
In simple terms: Ideas survive even when bodies are imprisoned.
Key Takeaway
Protect and share ideas.
Themes
freedom
knowledge
resistance
faith
printing
Mood
defiant
reflective
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- authoritarian regimes
- prison
- academic freedom
- religious oppression
Key Concepts
censorship
intellectual freedom
spiritual resilience
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you safeguard ideas under oppression?
- What role does faith play in intellectual resistance?
A Different Perspective
Physical control may still limit distribution of ideas.
