Killing Quote by Margaret Atwood
““I´ll take care of it, Luke said. And because he said it instead of her, I knew it meant kill. That is what you have to do before you kill, I thought. You have to create an it, where none was before. You do that first, in your head, and then you make it real. So that´s how they do it, I thought. I seemed never to have known that before.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Handmaid’s Tale, 1985
The passage describes the mental preparation before committing a violent act, emphasizing imagination as a precursor to reality.
In simple terms: Imagining an act makes it real.
Key Takeaway
Consider the power of thoughts before actions.
Themes
psychology
violence
imagination
morality
Mood
thoughtful
serious
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- planning a project
- writing a story
- ethical decision‑making
Key Concepts
cognitive preparation
ethical reflection
creative visualization
Questions to Reflect On
- What ethical limits guide your imagination?
- How do you separate thought from deed?
A Different Perspective
Imagining can desensitize or justify harm.
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