Devil Quote by Norah Lofts
““I am trying now to be entirely honest. I did actually comfort in the thought that the Devil had, on Strawless Common, defeated God. I much preferred that thought to the thought that God hadn't cared, hadn't helped Robin. I thought all the way back to the story of Eden. God, all-loving, all-wise, had surely wanted people to be happy and healthy and good; it was the Devil who spoiled it all...and since so many people were miserable and sickly and bad the Devil must indeed by very powerful. The lifeless, voiceless thing, lately a singing boy, which they had cut down and put under a sack in the barn to await an unhallowed cross-road grave seemed to me to prove the power of the Devil." Lady Alice Rowhedge””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Devil's Garden, 1975
The narrator seeks comfort in blaming evil for suffering, preferring it to a god indifferent to human pain.
In simple terms: Blaming evil feels easier than feeling abandoned.
Key Takeaway
Consider personal responsibility in hardship.
Themes
theodicy
comfort
faith
Mood
somber
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
emotional
When to use this quote
- personal loss
- moral dilemmas
- spiritual crises
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How does this view affect coping?
- What alternatives exist for meaning?
A Different Perspective
Blind blame can ignore agency.
