Boys Quote by P.G. Wodehouse
““What George was thinking was that the late king Herod had been unjustly blamed for a policy which had been both statesmanlike and in the interests of the public. He was blaming the mawkish sentimentality of the modern legal system which ranks the evisceration and secret burial of small boys as a crime.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse, 1938
The speaker critiques how modern law over‑penalizes minor offenses while overlooking larger, more pragmatic state actions.
In simple terms: Law punishes small crimes harshly, ignoring bigger state deeds.
Key Takeaway
Question the balance of justice.
Themes
justice
law
statecraft
morality
Mood
critical
ironic
analytical
Type
satirical
commentary
When to use this quote
- political debate
- legal reform
- public policy analysis
- historical study
Key Concepts
legal theory
ethical paradox
historical criticism
Questions to Reflect On
- How should societies weigh minor crimes against major state actions?
- Is the legal system too sentimental?
A Different Perspective
The quote may exaggerate for comic effect, limiting its factual reliability.
![“[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)
