Wild beast Quote by Roberto Bolaño
““The Russians opened his mouth and with a pair of pliers the Germans used for other purposes they seized his tongue and yanked. The pain made tears spring to his eyes and he said, or rather shouted, the word coño , cunt. With the pliers in his mouth the exclamation was transformed, coming out as the word kunst . The Russian who spoke German stared at him in surprise. The Sevillan shouted Kunst, Kunst , and wept in pain. The word Kunst , in German, means art, and that was how the bilingual soldier heard it and he said that the son of a bitch was an artist or something. The soldiers who were torturing the Sevillan removed the pliers along with a little piece of tongue and waited, momentarily hypnotized by the discovery. Art . The thing that soothes wild beasts.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: 2666, 2004
Describes a brutal torture where a soldier's tongue is twisted, turning a curse into the word “art,” highlighting the paradox of pain and creativity.
In simple terms: Pain can unintentionally create art.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the unexpected origins of creativity.
Themes
violence
art
language
Mood
grim
reflective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- war trauma
- creative expression
- cultural misunderstanding
Key Concepts
psychology
linguistics
Questions to Reflect On
- How does suffering influence artistic expression?
- Can art emerge from cruelty?
A Different Perspective
May romanticize suffering.
