Snails Quote by P.G. Wodehouse
““He sat looking at it with his eyes protruding in the manner popularized by snails, looking like something stuffed by a taxidermist who had learned his job from a correspondence course and had only got as far as lesson three.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Code of the Woosters, P.G. Wodehouse, 1938
A character is described in absurd, vivid detail, emphasizing comedic exaggeration of physical traits and absurd origins.
In simple terms: A funny, over‑the‑top description of a person.
Key Takeaway
Enjoy the humor in exaggerated descriptions.
Themes
comedy
characterization
absurdity
Mood
playful
light‑hearted
Type
literary
humorous
When to use this quote
- social gatherings
- literary analysis
- creative writing
- theatrical performance
Key Concepts
satire
visual humor
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the absurd imagery reveal about the character?
- How does exaggeration affect our perception?
A Different Perspective
The humor may rely on cultural references that some readers miss.
![“[The taxidermist is] a historian, dealing with an animal's past; the zookeeper is a politician, dealing with an animal's present; and everyone else is a citizen who must decide on that animal's future (...) The indifference of the many, combined with the active hatred of the few, has sealed the…” quote by Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a26/yann-martel-395_active_the-taxidermist-is-a-historian-dealing-w_1877158.jpg)
![“[A]lways get to the dialogue as soon as possible. I always feel the thing to go for is speed. Nothing puts the reader off more than a big slab of prose at the start." (Interview, The Paris Review , Issue 64, Winter 1975)” quote by P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/989/p-g-wodehouse-723_communication_a-lways-get-to-the-dialogue-as-soon-as-p_13316.jpg)
![“...he switched on the [flashlight]. When he did so, he instantly became the center attraction to a rowdy mob of those gnats, moths, and beetles which collect in gangs and stay up late in the rural districts. They appeared to have been waiting for a congenial comrade to come along and give a fillip…” quote by P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/eb9/p-g-wodehouse-723_humorous_he-switched-on-the-flashlight-when-he-di_44308.jpg)
