Bastille Quote by Robert Green Ingersoll
“In France, the people were the sport of a king's caprice. Everywhere was the shadow of the Bastille. It fell upon the sunniest field, upon the happiest home.”
About This Quote
The passage likens the French populace to a king’s caprice, casting the Bastille’s shadow over all, even bright places.
In simple terms: People were treated as a king’s whim, casting gloom everywhere.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how oppressive power casts widespread shadows.
Themes
history
oppression
revolution
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
historical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- studying revolutions
- political analysis
- education
- literary critique
Key Concepts
authoritarianism
social control
symbolism
Questions to Reflect On
- How do symbols like the Bastille shape collective memory?
- What lessons apply to modern governance?
A Different Perspective
It may romanticize suffering without acknowledging resilience.
![“[My wife] liked to collect old encyclopedias from second-hand bookstores, and at one point we had eight of them. When I wrote my first historical novel---back in 1980, before I was online---I used them often as a research tool. For instance, I learned that the Bastille was either 90 feet high or…” quote by Robert Anton Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/75d/robert-anton-wilson-1198_bastille_my-wife-liked-to-collect-old-encyclopedi_864543.jpg)
![“I was in New York 9/11. Mark's [Wahlberg] from Boston, flew there immediately after. I was in Nice Bastille Day when the truck drove through and killed all these people. It's the new reality, unfortunately. The idea of trying to explore how we process this kind of event, how we survive…” quote by Peter Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/185/peter-berg-14447_bastille_i-was-in-new-york-9-11-mark-s-wahlberg-f_2093673.jpg)
![“Most of the crew were staying in Monaco. But my family and I were actually staying in Nice because I had my whole family there and we wanted a little more space and to stay in a hotel. The truth is we were asleep [when the attack Bastille Day terror happened] and woke up the next morning to it and…” quote by Jamie Dornan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4e3/jamie-dornan-5782_bastille_most-of-the-crew-were-staying-in-monaco_2585396.jpg)