---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think literary theory satisfied a deep…"
description: "\"I think literary theory satisfied a deep love I have for big, encompassing narratives about the world and how it works - which are usually, in the end,..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6e/jennifer-egan-825_deep_i-think-literary-theory-satisfied-a-deep_2755441.jpg"
---

#  I think literary theory satisfied a deep love I have for…

![“I think literary theory satisfied a deep love I have for big, encompassing narratives about the world and how it works - which are usually, in the end, more creative visions unto themselves than illuminating explanations.” quote by Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6e/jennifer-egan-825_deep_i-think-literary-theory-satisfied-a-deep_2755441.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6e/jennifer-egan-825_deep_i-think-literary-theory-satisfied-a-deep_2755441.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6e/jennifer-egan-825_deep_i-think-literary-theory-satisfied-a-deep_2755441.jpg)

> “I think literary theory satisfied a deep love I have for big, encompassing narratives about the world and how it works - which are usually, in the end, more creative visions unto themselves than illuminating explanations.”

[Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

She enjoys grand, imaginative stories that feel like personal visions more than factual explanations.

**In simple terms:** Loves big, creative narratives over literal truth.

Key Takeaway

Embrace imagination in understanding the world.

Themes

creativity storytelling narrative philosophy

Mood

reflective inquisitive

Type

philosophical literary

When to use this quote

- writing workshops
- literature classes
- personal reflection
- media analysis

Key Concepts

mythmaking interpretive frameworks cognitive mapping

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance imagination with truth?
- What value do creative visions bring to knowledge?

A Different Perspective

May overlook empirical evidence and factual accuracy.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Deep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep/) [Deep love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep-love/) [Encompassing Narratives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encompassing-narratives-3131717/) [End](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Literary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary/) [Literary theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary-theory/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Theory Satisfied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theory-satisfied-3131716/) [Think Literary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-literary-603684/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [I think literary theory has not been terribly good for English studies in a while. It's not that theory isn't interesting, but it isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-byatt-2/i-think-literary-theory-has-not-been-terribly-good-for-english/)

[A. S. Byatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-byatt-2/)

> [I think I became less literary after I sold more!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/i-think-i-became-less-literary-after-i-sold-more/)

[Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/)

> [“Think of literary fiction as a meal with intricate scents, flavors, and textures that you can’t recognize unless you chew with your eyes closed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-bell/think-of-literary-fiction-as-a-meal-with-intricate-scents-flavors-and/)

[Jessica Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-bell/)

> [There are a lot of us, some published, some not, who think the literary life is the loveliest one possible, this life of reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/there-are-a-lot-of-us-some-published-some-not-who-think-the-literary/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [First literature came to refer only to itself, the literary theory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/first-literature-came-to-refer-only-to-itself-the-literary-theory/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

> [Literary theories will not make a writer write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-wier/literary-theories-will-not-make-a-writer-write/)

[Allen Wier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-wier/)

> [I don't think comics necessarily think in literary terms. There is an element of developing your stage persona and your comedic voice, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-alexandro/i-don-t-think-comics-necessarily-think-in-literary-terms-there-is-an/)

[Ted Alexandro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-alexandro/)

> [When I put together a graphic novel, I don't think about literary prose. I think about storytelling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/when-i-put-together-a-graphic-novel-i-don-t-think-about-literary/)

[Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/)

> [Books on horse racing subjects have never done well, and I am told that publishers had come to think of them as the literary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-hillenbrand/books-on-horse-racing-subjects-have-never-done-well-and-i-am-told/)

[Laura Hillenbrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-hillenbrand/)

> [So much of the way books get classified has to do with marketing decisions. I think it's more useful to think of literary books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-russell/so-much-of-the-way-books-get-classified-has-to-do-with-marketing/)

[Karen Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-russell/)

> [I think our literary tradition has to evolve, has to explore its form and its spirit through writers and thinkers, rather than let the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xiaolu-guo/i-think-our-literary-tradition-has-to-evolve-has-to-explore-its-form/)

[Xiaolu Guo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xiaolu-guo/)

> [Much of the way books get classified has to do with marketing decisions. I think it's more useful to think of literary books and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-russell/much-of-the-way-books-get-classified-has-to-do-with-marketing/)

[Karen Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-russell/)

> [I think that literary forms are losing their capacity to connect people to issues, to the experiences that feel most meaningful to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayad-akhtar/i-think-that-literary-forms-are-losing-their-capacity-to-connect/)

[Ayad Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayad-akhtar/)

> [“I think that the thematic, formal history of the literary form ultimately harkens back to a different political system. That is to say, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayad-akhtar/i-think-that-the-thematic-formal-history-of-the-literary-form/)

[Ayad Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayad-akhtar/)

> [If you've been around as long as I have, watching the literary scene, then you know that who's in and who's out changes by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/if-you-ve-been-around-as-long-as-i-have-watching-the-literary-scene/)

[Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/)

## More by Jennifer Egan

> [“Behind the desk was nothing but view-the whole city flung out in front of us the way street vendors fling out their towels packed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/behind-the-desk-was-nothing-but-view-the-whole-city-flung-out-in/)

[Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/)

> [I just think that, for my particular personality, feeling slightly invisible is always a help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-just-think-that-for-my-particular-personality-feeling-slightly/)

[Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/)

> [Between books, I have to throw out everything I did before, because the tools I've used to write the previous book will not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/between-books-i-have-to-throw-out-everything-i-did-before-because-the/)

[Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/)

> [As a reader and a writer, I'm happiest when apparently mutually exclusive states can somehow coexist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/as-a-reader-and-a-writer-i-m-happiest-when-apparently-mutually/)

[Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/)

> [I teach intermittently, and while I enjoy it, I don't find that it's a calling for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-teach-intermittently-and-while-i-enjoy-it-i-don-t-find-that-it-s-a/)

[Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/)

> [Like all failed experiments, that one taught me something I didn’t expect: one key ingredient of so-called experience is the delusional faith that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/like-all-failed-experiments-that-one-taught-me-something-i-didn-t/)

[Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/)

> [“Thousands of solar panels lift and tilt at the same time, in the same way. I clutch at Dad's arm: "Why are they doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/thousands-of-solar-panels-lift-and-tilt-at-the-same-time-in-the-same/)

[Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/)

> [It was the hat. He looked sweet in the hat. How could a man in a fuzzy blue hat have used human bones to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/it-was-the-hat-he-looked-sweet-in-the-hat-how-could-a-man-in-a-fuzzy/)

[Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/)

> [I was a stepchild in two different families. The hardest thing about being a stepchild is you know that in some way everything would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-was-a-stepchild-in-two-different-families-the-hardest-thing-about/)

[Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/)

> [“The seconds pass. I know what’s going on because it’s the same thing that always happens: give me something nice, something I love or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/the-seconds-pass-i-know-what-s-going-on-because-it-s-the-same-thing/)

[Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/)

> [I had this idea that I could hire myself out as a person to go on archeological digs and dig, without any training! I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-had-this-idea-that-i-could-hire-myself-out-as-a-person-to-go-on/)

[Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/)

> [At night, the house thick with sleep, she would peer out her bedroom window at the trees and sky and feel the presence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/at-night-the-house-thick-with-sleep-she-would-peer-out-her-bedroom/)

[Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/)

> [I number my drafts, and by the time a book is done, I'll have 75 or 80 drafts of some sections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-number-my-drafts-and-by-the-time-a-book-is-done-i-ll-have-75-or-80/)

[Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/)

> [Read at the level at which you want to write. Reading is the nourishment that feeds the kind of writing you want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/read-at-the-level-at-which-you-want-to-write-reading-is-the/)

[Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/)

> [I was a stepchild in two different families. The hardest thing about being a stepchild is you know that in some way everything would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-was-a-stepchild-in-two-different-families-the-hardest-thing-about-2/)

[Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/)

[Explore all 358 Jennifer Egan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/)

## More Deep quotes

> [There is no precedent of an advanced economy withdrawing from a trade agreement as deep and as complex as the European Union.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-johnson/there-is-no-precedent-of-an-advanced-economy-withdrawing-from-a-trade/)

[Jo Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-johnson/)

> [I'm just going to express my opinion and try to change the way people think with the stuff I write or try to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-curry/i-m-just-going-to-express-my-opinion-and-try-to-change-the-way-people/)

[Denzel Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-curry/)

> [I don't feel I have to write deep and meaningful songs; they can be light and meaningless. It has to do with the place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-diamond/i-don-t-feel-i-have-to-write-deep-and-meaningful-songs-they-can-be/)

[Neil Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-diamond/)

> [From time to time I look at the picture when I am very sad. I just want to remember my past and that scene…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phan-thi-kim-phuc/from-time-to-time-i-look-at-the-picture-when-i-am-very-sad-i-just/)

[Phan Thi Kim Phuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phan-thi-kim-phuc/)

> [“Haunted by the longing to feel something real, deep and magical; I searched for a shared ecstasy... that's when you came along.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebo-grand/haunted-by-the-longing-to-feel-something-real-deep-and-magical-i/)

[Lebo Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebo-grand/)

> [And I always think of life like a giant wave. You know, it rises and it crests and it flies, and it's just magnificent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-seymour/and-i-always-think-of-life-like-a-giant-wave-you-know-it-rises-and-it/)

[Jane Seymour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-seymour/)

> [Extremist perspectives win sympathy and recruits because they offer narratives that claim to identify deep injustices and enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-gahr-store/extremist-perspectives-win-sympathy-and-recruits-because-they-offer/)

[Jonas Gahr Store](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-gahr-store/)

> [I want to have a lengthy career. I want to play interesting characters. I want to tell beautiful stories, complex stories, deep stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jovan-adepo/i-want-to-have-a-lengthy-career-i-want-to-play-interesting-characters/)

[Jovan Adepo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jovan-adepo/)

> [We all have love hidden deep inside us. It just takes that special person to look hard enough to find it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-all-have-love-hidden-deep-inside-us-it-just-takes-that-special/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [They say a picture paints a thousand words. Well I say my eyes will tell you everything you need to know. Can you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemis-khan/they-say-a-picture-paints-a-thousand-words-well-i-say-my-eyes-will/)

[Kemis Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemis-khan/)

> [I had a brilliant relationship with Thomas Tuchel. We spoke a lot, not only on the surface, but really deep about football and our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-farke/i-had-a-brilliant-relationship-with-thomas-tuchel-we-spoke-a-lot-not/)

[Daniel Farke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-farke/)

> [I want to go deep into fashion; I want to go maybe into acting. There's a lot of stuff I would like to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-peep/i-want-to-go-deep-into-fashion-i-want-to-go-maybe-into-acting-there-s/)

[Lil Peep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-peep/)

> [The personal, if it is deep enough, becomes universal, mythical, symbolic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/the-personal-if-it-is-deep-enough-becomes-universal-mythical-symbolic/)

[Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/)

> [It's fun, and a laugh for you... you can boo me and feel happy about yourself because you're part of the crowd that did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-goodes/it-s-fun-and-a-laugh-for-you-you-can-boo-me-and-feel-happy-about/)

[Adam Goodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-goodes/)

> [We should bathe our spirits in the deep, pure feeling that stirs within us when we gaze on the glories of His creation. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/we-should-bathe-our-spirits-in-the-deep-pure-feeling-that-stirs/)

[Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/)

[Browse all 3,514 Deep quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think literary theory satisfied a deep love I have for big, encompassing narratives about the world and how it works - which are usually, in the end, more creative visions unto themselves than illuminating explanations.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jennifer Egan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-think-literary-theory-satisfied-a-deep-love-i-have-for-big/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Deep"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-think-literary-theory-satisfied-a-deep-love-i-have-for-big/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6e/jennifer-egan-825_deep_i-think-literary-theory-satisfied-a-deep_2755441.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6e/jennifer-egan-825_deep_i-think-literary-theory-satisfied-a-deep_2755441.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6e/jennifer-egan-825_deep_i-think-literary-theory-satisfied-a-deep_2755441.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think literary theory satisfied a deep love I have for big, encompassing narratives about the world and…” — Jennifer Egan",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jennifer Egan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think literary theory satisfied a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-think-literary-theory-satisfied-a-deep-love-i-have-for-big/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-think-literary-theory-satisfied-a-deep-love-i-have-for-big/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
