Books Quote by Leon Trotsky
““Thousands and thousands of books are thrown on the market every year presenting some new variant of the personal romance, some tale of the vacillations of the melancholic or the career of the ambitious. The heroine of Proust requires several finely-wrought pages in order to feel that she does not feel anything. It would seem that one might, at least with equal justice, demand attention to a series of collective historic dramas which lifted hundreds of millions of human beings out of nonexistence, transforming the character of nations and intruding forever into the life of all mankind.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: "Literature and History", 1925
He argues that literature should focus on collective historic dramas rather than personal romances.
In simple terms: Literature should highlight collective history.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize societal narratives.
Themes
literature
history
collectivism
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- educational curricula
- public discourse
- media analysis
Key Concepts
social theory
cultural criticism
Questions to Reflect On
- How can personal and collective narratives coexist?
- What role does individual experience play in history?
A Different Perspective
Personal stories also have value.
![“[Joseph] Stalin closes the exposition of these [Leon Trotsky] ideas with the words, "Such are in general the characteristic features of [Vladimir] Lenin's conception of the proletarian revolution."” quote by Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/240/leon-trotsky-2558_characteristics_joseph-stalin-closes-the-exposition-of-t_33931.jpg)
![“In Stalin each [Soviet bureaucrat] easily finds himself. But Stalin also finds in each one a small part of his own spirit. Stalin is the personification of the bureaucracy. That is the substance of his political personality.” quote by Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/01b/leon-trotsky-2558_bureaucracy_in-stalin-each-soviet-bureaucrat-easily_198840.jpg)
