Deals Quote by James Joyce
![“I've been working hard on [Ulysses] all day," said Joyce. Does that mean that you have written a great deal?" I said. Two sentences," said Joyce. I looked sideways but Joyce was not smiling. I thought of [French novelist Gustave] Flaubert. "You've been seeking the mot juste?" I said. No," said…” quote by James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/275/james-joyce-281_deals_i-ve-been-working-hard-on-ulysses-all-da_1018148.jpg)
“I've been working hard on [Ulysses] all day," said Joyce. Does that mean that you have written a great deal?" I said. Two sentences," said Joyce. I looked sideways but Joyce was not smiling. I thought of [French novelist Gustave] Flaubert. "You've been seeking the mot juste?" I said. No," said Joyce. "I have the words already. What I am seeking is the perfect order of words in the sentence.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: Ulysses (1922)
Joyce seeks the perfect arrangement of words, not just the right word, emphasizing structure over isolated vocabulary.
In simple terms: He wants the whole sentence to flow perfectly.
Key Takeaway
Focus on overall sentence flow.
Themes
writing
craft
precision
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
literary
educational
When to use this quote
- editing drafts
- creative writing workshops
- academic analysis
Key Concepts
syntactic harmony
literary style
Questions to Reflect On
- How to balance perfection with progress?
- When is a sentence "good enough"?
A Different Perspective
Perfect order may be unattainable, leading to endless revision.
![“I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. [salutes]” quote by Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3d2/bill-hicks-970_america_i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumor_655.jpg)
