Agency Quote by Pankaj Mishra
“There are some serious limitations in Mo Yan's situation as a writer in China today - just as there are for Jia Zhangke, one of the world's greatest film directors. He can only phrase his dissent obliquely, in his art. Writers in "free" societies labor under no such constraints. They can write more or less whatever they want in both their fiction and their commentary. Yet so many of them look oddly inhibited, even timid, and depressingly a couple of prominent figures actually positioned themselves to the right of their governments, intelligence agencies, and corporations.”
About This Quote
Source Article: The New Yorker, “The Limits of Dissent in China”, 2023
Chinese artists face indirect censorship, forcing them to embed criticism in art, unlike creators in freer societies who can be more direct.
In simple terms: Artists in China must hide dissent in their work.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the subtlety of artistic protest.
Themes
censorship
artistic expression
politics
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
analysis
political
When to use this quote
- film festivals
- literary criticism
- government policy debates
- academic research
Key Concepts
authoritarianism
creative resistance
intellectual freedom
Questions to Reflect On
- How do creators balance safety and honesty?
- What risks arise from indirect dissent?
A Different Perspective
Even subtle art can be co‑opted by the state.
![“We have no clear ideas of the agency of [demonic] spirits, nor is it necessary. The Scripture says little to satisfy our curiosity; but tells us plainly that he is always watching us, and desiring to sift us as wheat. I believe we give him no more than his due, when we charge him with having a…” quote by John Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c75/john-newton-6629_abundance_we-have-no-clear-ideas-of-the-agency-of_2907.jpg)
