--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He wished he could arrange a maiming as a…" description: "\"He wished he could arrange a maiming as a kind of moral lesson\" — John Irving" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e1/john-irving-337_kind_he-wished-he-could-arrange-a-maiming-as_2608404.png" --- # He wished he could arrange a maiming as a kind of moral… ![“He wished he could arrange a maiming as a kind of moral lesson” quote by John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e1/john-irving-337_kind_he-wished-he-could-arrange-a-maiming-as_2608404.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e1/john-irving-337_kind_he-wished-he-could-arrange-a-maiming-as_2608404.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e1/john-irving-337_kind_he-wished-he-could-arrange-a-maiming-as_2608404.png) > “He wished he could arrange a maiming as a kind of moral lesson” [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character wishes to orchestrate a painful lesson through violent means, reflecting twisted morality. **In simple terms:** Desiring violent moral lessons. Key Takeaway Reject cruelty as a teaching tool. Themes morality violence psychology ethical dilemmas Mood dark thoughtful Type literary psychological When to use this quote - literature - crime - psychology Key Concepts character study dark themes moral philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What non‑violent ways teach hard truths? - How does trauma shape moral reasoning? A Different Perspective Violence rarely yields constructive outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) ## Related quotes > [ “\[…\] I have a date this afternoon." "Oh, Lord." Jake closed his eyes. "Who are you going to destroy now?" "I beg your pardon?"… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-crusie/i-have-a-date-this-afternoon-oh-lord-jake-closed-his-eyes-who-are-you/) [Jennifer Crusie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-crusie/) > [“No, Tolya, your gifts lie elewhere," Sturmhond said soothingly. "Mostly in the celebrated fields of killing and maiming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/no-tolya-your-gifts-lie-elewhere-sturmhond-said-soothingly-mostly-in/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [The divorced person is like a man with a black patch over one eye: he looks rather dashing but the fact is that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-coudert/the-divorced-person-is-like-a-man-with-a-black-patch-over-one-eye-he/) [Jo Coudert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-coudert/) > [It's healthy for government to be a kind of moral catalyst, using the bully pulpit of high office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/it-s-healthy-for-government-to-be-a-kind-of-moral-catalyst-using-the/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [I guess to me religion is a kind of moral code.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-rubin/i-guess-to-me-religion-is-a-kind-of-moral-code/) [Vera Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-rubin/) > [With truths of a certain kind, it is not enough to make them appear convincing: one must also make them felt. Of such kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/with-truths-of-a-certain-kind-it-is-not-enough-to-make-them-appear/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Coming into World War II, we were seen as a conquering hero for beleaguered people, we are now seen as invader, an occupier. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/coming-into-world-war-ii-we-were-seen-as-a-conquering-hero-for/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [On an occasion of this kind it becomes more than a moral duty to speak one's mind. It becomes a pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/on-an-occasion-of-this-kind-it-becomes-more-than-a-moral-duty-to/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Wolf apparently holds me to some kind of moral standard that he himself doesn't even observe but thinks I should.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alecia-whitaker/wolf-apparently-holds-me-to-some-kind-of-moral-standard-that-he/) [Alecia Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alecia-whitaker/) > [Turning the other cheek is a kind of moral jiu-jitsu.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-stanley-lee/turning-the-other-cheek-is-a-kind-of-moral-jiu-jitsu/) [Gerald Stanley Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-stanley-lee/) > [We do learn a thing or two from art. It may not be the one-to-one instruction of a moral lesson or the rote learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-dean/we-do-learn-a-thing-or-two-from-art-it-may-not-be-the-one-to-one/) [Michelle Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-dean/) > [If a work of art is rich and vital and complete, those who have artistic instincts will see its beauty, and those to whom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/if-a-work-of-art-is-rich-and-vital-and-complete-those-who-have-2/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The only moral lesson which is suited for a child--the most important lesson for every time of life--is this: 'Never hurt anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-moral-lesson-which-is-suited-for-a-child-the-most-important/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If a work of art is rich and vital and complete, those who have artistic instincts will see its beauty, and those to whom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/if-a-work-of-art-is-rich-and-vital-and-complete-those-who-have/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Fairy tales, which teach a moral lesson, are about ourselves. Myth deals with forces greater than ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lapine/fairy-tales-which-teach-a-moral-lesson-are-about-ourselves-myth-deals/) [James Lapine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lapine/) ## More by John Irving > [Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/your-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-doesn-t-it-simply-files-things/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Our memory is a monster; you forget it - it does not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/our-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-it-does-not/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Watch out for people who call themselves religious; make sure you know what they mean––make sure they know what they mean!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/watch-out-for-people-who-call-themselves-religious-make-sure-you-know/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [The desire to never leave your side, the desire to never see you again. The desire to see your face asleep on the pillow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/the-desire-to-never-leave-your-side-the-desire-to-never-see-you-again/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I had been a student in Vienna, and one of the neat little things I had found out was about that zoo. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-had-been-a-student-in-vienna-and-one-of-the-neat-little-things-i/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“God, I think I just hit a high E-flat - and I really held it!" Esmeralda said, after one of her more prolonged orgasms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/god-i-think-i-just-hit-a-high-e-flat-and-i-really-held-it-esmeralda/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Nostalgia!" Miss Frost cried. "You´re nostalgic!" She repeated. "Just how old are you, William?" She asked. "Seventeen, " I told her. "Seventeen!" Miss Frost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/nostalgia-miss-frost-cried-you-re-nostalgic-she-repeated-just-how-old/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [ “JUST BECAUSE A BUNCH OF ATHEISTS ARE BETTER WRITERS THAN THE GUYS WHO WROTE THE BIBLE DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE THEM RIGHT!" \[Owen Meany\] said… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/just-because-a-bunch-of-atheists-are-better-writers-than-the-guys-who/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [It is much easier to be flexible about where a story begins than it ever was for me to change my mind about where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/it-is-much-easier-to-be-flexible-about-where-a-story-begins-than-it/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Only the chicken-lover will understand me. He will give me a kindly look, maybe mildly desirous. His eyes will tell me: You might look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/only-the-chicken-lover-will-understand-me-he-will-give-me-a-kindly/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [You're nice,' Cushie told him, squeezing his hand. 'And you're my oldest friend.' But they both must have known that you can know someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/you-re-nice-cushie-told-him-squeezing-his-hand-and-you-re-my-oldest/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Because of A Prayer for Owen Meany, many of my readers assume I am “religious.” I go to church only occasionally—like a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/because-of-a-prayer-for-owen-meany-many-of-my-readers-assume-i-am/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Did anyone who was in love and was unsatisfied with how he was loved in return ever feel saved?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/did-anyone-who-was-in-love-and-was-unsatisfied-with-how-he-was-loved/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“I TRUST THAT GOD WILL HELP ME, BECAUSE WHAT I’M SUPPOSED TO DO LOOKS VERY HARD.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-trust-that-god-will-help-me-because-what-i-m-supposed-to-do-looks/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) [Explore all 641 John Irving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## More Kind quotes > [Money is the kind of instrument which is very speedily produced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatoly-chubais/money-is-the-kind-of-instrument-which-is-very-speedily-produced/) [Anatoly Chubais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatoly-chubais/) > [Since I worked with Danny Boyle before on Slumdog Millionaire, we have great success and everything. So, when I first got the script and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/since-i-worked-with-danny-boyle-before-on-slumdog-millionaire-we-have/) [A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/) > [One of the reasons that I do a lot of different kinds of pictures is because I learn a lot when I'm doing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-jason-leigh/one-of-the-reasons-that-i-do-a-lot-of-different-kinds-of-pictures-is/) [Jennifer Jason Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-jason-leigh/) > [I remember that the bass was turned up slightly more on the mix from last week, and I thought that was good - or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ronson/i-remember-that-the-bass-was-turned-up-slightly-more-on-the-mix-from/) [Mark Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ronson/) > [I always step on the plane with my right foot and touch the outside of the plane with my left hand. Sometimes you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-davis/i-always-step-on-the-plane-with-my-right-foot-and-touch-the-outside/) [Hope Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-davis/) > [Every time I finish a song... most of the time it's in my own head, like this sounds too much like a Townes Van…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/every-time-i-finish-a-song-most-of-the-time-it-s-in-my-own-head-like/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [I did not know that the planning for biological and chemical warfare was so widespread in England, and even in France before France fell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/i-did-not-know-that-the-planning-for-biological-and-chemical-warfare/) [Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [The bigger the canvas, the better I do. I'm not so good at understated, kitchen-sink kinds of parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/the-bigger-the-canvas-the-better-i-do-i-m-not-so-good-at-understated/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [You're getting into some kind of shape, cop." Aw, come on, now." Butch grinned. "Don't let that shower we took go to your head."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/you-re-getting-into-some-kind-of-shape-cop-aw-come-on-now-butch/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [You don't want to fix things that aren't broken, so that kind of stops you from make changes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-weidman/you-don-t-want-to-fix-things-that-aren-t-broken-so-that-kind-of-stops/) [Chris Weidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-weidman/) > [You felt a deep sorrow, the kind of melancholy you feel when you're in a beautiful place and the sun is going down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thrity-umrigar/you-felt-a-deep-sorrow-the-kind-of-melancholy-you-feel-when-you-re-in/) [Thrity Umrigar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thrity-umrigar/) Browse all 40,753 Kind quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "He wished he could arrange a maiming as a kind of moral lesson", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Irving" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/he-wished-he-could-arrange-a-maiming-as-a-kind-of-moral-lesson/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Kind" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/he-wished-he-could-arrange-a-maiming-as-a-kind-of-moral-lesson/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e1/john-irving-337_kind_he-wished-he-could-arrange-a-maiming-as_2608404.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e1/john-irving-337_kind_he-wished-he-could-arrange-a-maiming-as_2608404.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e1/john-irving-337_kind_he-wished-he-could-arrange-a-maiming-as_2608404.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He wished he could arrange a maiming as a kind of moral lesson” — John Irving", "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": "John Irving", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "He wished he could arrange a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/he-wished-he-could-arrange-a-maiming-as-a-kind-of-moral-lesson/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/he-wished-he-could-arrange-a-maiming-as-a-kind-of-moral-lesson/#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 } } ] } ```