Art Quote by James Joyce
““You have asked me what I would do and what I would not do. I will not serve that in which I no longer believe whether it call itself my home, my fatherland or my church: and I will try to express myself in some mode of life or art as freely as I can and as wholly as I can, using for my defence the only arms I allow myself to use--silence, exile, and cunning.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, 1916
He declares he will not support institutions he no longer believes in, choosing silence, exile, and cunning as his tools for self‑expression.
In simple terms: Refuses to support false loyalties, using silence, exile, cunning.
Key Takeaway
Choose integrity over conformity.
Themes
integrity
individualism
art
politics
Mood
defiant
reflective
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- political protest
- artistic creation
- personal crisis
- exile
- censorship
Key Concepts
existentialism
autonomy
resistance
Questions to Reflect On
- What institutions do you still serve without belief?
- How can cunning protect your freedom?
A Different Perspective
Silence may limit influence; exile can be isolating.
