Don't change Quote by Marguerite Duras
“Words don't change their shape, they change their meaning, their function...They don't have a meaning of their own any more, they refer to other words that you don't know, that you've never read or heard...you've never seen their shape, but you feel...you suspect...they correspond to...an empty space inside you...or in the universe...”
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Lover, Marguerite Duras, 1984
Words lose fixed meanings, becoming fluid symbols that reflect personal and cosmic emptiness.
In simple terms: Words change meaning, not shape.
Key Takeaway
Recognize language’s fluidity.
Themes
language
meaning
semantics
existential emptiness
Mood
thoughtful
introspective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- literary analysis
- philosophical discourse
- personal introspection
Key Concepts
post‑structuralism
phenomenology
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you interpret ambiguous language?
- What emptiness do you feel in communication?
A Different Perspective
May cause miscommunication if meanings are assumed static.
