Holy Quote by Jonathan Lethem
““We knew it was holy. Every sentence we cherished was sturdy and Biblical in its form, carved somehow by hand-dragged implement or slapped onto sheets by an inky key. For sentences were sculptural, were we the only ones who understood? Sentences were bodies, too, as horny as the flesh-envelopes we wore around the house all day.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem, 1999
The passage celebrates language as a sacred, tactile craft, suggesting that sentences are physical, meaningful objects that only a few truly grasp.
In simple terms: Language is treated as holy and sculptural, understood by few.
Key Takeaway
Value the craftsmanship of writing.
Themes
literature
craft
solitude
Mood
contemplative
introspective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- creative writing
- academic analysis
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
aestheticism
materiality
exclusivity
Questions to Reflect On
- How does viewing text as a physical object affect your reading?
- What makes a sentence feel 'holy'?
A Different Perspective
Some may argue language is accessible to all, not exclusive.
