Accepting Quote by Lewis Carroll
““I maintain that any writer of a book is fully authorised in attaching any meaning he likes to a word or phrase he intends to use. If I find an author saying, at the beginning of his book, "Let it be understood that by the word 'black' I shall always mean 'white,' and by the word 'white' I shall always mean 'black,'" I meekly accept his ruling, however injudicious I think it.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, 1865
Writers can define their own meanings for words, even if they contradict common usage.
In simple terms: Authors control word meanings in their works.
Key Takeaway
Accept authorial authority on language.
Themes
creativity
language
authority
interpretation
Mood
playful
thoughtful
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- writing
- editing
- teaching literature
- reading criticism
Key Concepts
semantic flexibility
authorial control
literary theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How does redefining words affect communication?
- When is it acceptable to change definitions?
A Different Perspective
Meaning can become confusing if overused.
![“[Roland] Barthes turned the thable on the author, saying no only the a book needs a reader to wake it into life, but that in so doing the reader becomes nothing less that the author, who reveals in the book's hermeneutic possibilities, releases them and so becomes its own creator.” quote by Robert Rowland Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9c6/robert-rowland-smith-40187_book_roland-barthes-turned-the-thable-on-the_1304707.jpg)
![“The moon’s a dead rock, but I still like the word, so black in its white space. […] what can we say to the moon except You again? You again.” quote by Franz Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/31f/franz-wright-14400_moon_the-moon-s-a-dead-rock-but-i-still-like_2872939.jpg)
