--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is possible, of course,” he said, “to…" description: "\"“It is possible, of course,” he said, “to imprison someone within the pattern of a carpet for a thousand years or so. That is a particularly horrible f..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79f/susanna-clarke-1559_imprison_it-is-possible-of-course-he-said-to-impr_1845937.png" --- # It is possible, of course,” he said, “to imprison someone… ![“It is possible, of course,” he said, “to imprison someone within the pattern of a carpet for a thousand years or so. That is a particularly horrible fate which I always reserve for people who have offended me deeply – as have these magicians! The endless repetition of colour and pattern – not to…” quote by Susanna Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79f/susanna-clarke-1559_imprison_it-is-possible-of-course-he-said-to-impr_1845937.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79f/susanna-clarke-1559_imprison_it-is-possible-of-course-he-said-to-impr_1845937.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79f/susanna-clarke-1559_imprison_it-is-possible-of-course-he-said-to-impr_1845937.png) > ““It is possible, of course,” he said, “to imprison someone within the pattern of a carpet for a thousand years or so. That is a particularly horrible fate which I always reserve for people who have offended me deeply – as have these magicians! The endless repetition of colour and pattern – not to mention the irritation of the dust and the humiliation of stains – never fails to render the prisoner completely mad! The prisoner always emerges from the carpet determined to wreak revenge upon all the world and then the magicians and heroes of that Age must join together to kill him or, more usually, imprison him a second time for yet more thousands of years in some even more ghastly prison. And so he goes on growing in madness and evil as the millennia pass. Yes, carpets! Perhaps …”” [Susanna Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-clarke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Carpet imprisonment is a metaphor for endless, maddening cycles of revenge, illustrating how prolonged confinement can warp sanity and amplify evil. **In simple terms:** Long confinement can drive someone insane and vengeful. Key Takeaway Avoid cycles that trap you in endless retaliation. Themes revenge madness eternity Mood dark reflective Type mythic cautionary When to use this quote - prisoner narrative - magical realism - moral caution - storytelling Key Concepts psychology mythic punishment time loops Questions to Reflect On - What cycles in your life feel like endless imprisonment? - How can you break a pattern of revenge? A Different Perspective May exaggerate magical realism for effect. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ghastly Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ghastly-prison-2389023/) [Imprison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imprison/) [Imprison Pattern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imprison-pattern-2389025/) [Said Imprison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-imprison-2389024/) [Thousand years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand-years/) [Usually Imprison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/usually-imprison-2389026/) ## Related quotes > [“Society always tries to enslave, imprison, and execute its greatest men, those who dare to stand apart and rise above.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-torode/society-always-tries-to-enslave-imprison-and-execute-its-greatest-men/) [Sam Torode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-torode/) > [How was she to tie herself to a man without permitting him to imprison her? And was there some means of acquiring things without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/how-was-she-to-tie-herself-to-a-man-without-permitting-him-to/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [Sometimes the prison of fear is so powerful theres no need to lock the cell doors. Your fear creates a willingness to self-imprison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/sometimes-the-prison-of-fear-is-so-powerful-theres-no-need-to-lock/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [You cannot imprison an idea. You have to fight it with a better idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehbooba-mufti/you-cannot-imprison-an-idea-you-have-to-fight-it-with-a-better-idea/) [Mehbooba Mufti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehbooba-mufti/) > [“Don't let the unmet expectation to imprison your mind and ruin your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euginia-herlihy/don-t-let-the-unmet-expectation-to-imprison-your-mind-and-ruin-your/) [Euginia Herlihy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euginia-herlihy/) > [Its better end something and start another than to imprison yourself in hoping for the impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laine/its-better-end-something-and-start-another-than-to-imprison-yourself/) [Laine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laine/) > [“Let my silence grow with noise as pregnant mothers grow with life. Let my silence permeate these walls as sunlight permeates a home. Let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/let-my-silence-grow-with-noise-as-pregnant-mothers-grow-with-life-let/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [“It may be bad for you, but government has no role in dictating our lives. People should be free to imprison themselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/it-may-be-bad-for-you-but-government-has-no-role-in-dictating-our/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I wonder why it is that we so often imprison ourselves in the opinions of other people. There can be no punishment worse than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawna-markova/i-wonder-why-it-is-that-we-so-often-imprison-ourselves-in-the/) [Dawna Markova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawna-markova/) > [“Sometimes your mind can imprison your body and can put your body under some constraints. There is only one way for your body to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/sometimes-your-mind-can-imprison-your-body-and-can-put-your-body/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Nothing can be more abhorrent to democracy than to imprison a person or keep him in prison because he is unpopular. This is really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/nothing-can-be-more-abhorrent-to-democracy-than-to-imprison-a-person/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Our confession will either imprison us or set us free. Our confession is the result of our believing, and our believing is the result…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-hagin/our-confession-will-either-imprison-us-or-set-us-free-our-confession/) [Kenneth E. Hagin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-hagin/) > [What can my enemies do to me? My paradise is in my heart, it is with me wherever I go. To imprison me is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-taymiyyah/what-can-my-enemies-do-to-me-my-paradise-is-in-my-heart-it-is-with-me/) [Ibn Taymiyyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-taymiyyah/) > [As politics is disconnected from its ethical and material moorings, it becomes easier to punish and imprison young people than to educate them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/as-politics-is-disconnected-from-its-ethical-and-material-moorings-it/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [I'll imprison you in my heart,A.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zarnab/i-ll-imprison-you-in-my-heart-a/) [Zarnab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zarnab/) ## More by Susanna Clarke > [you must learn to live as I do - in the face of constant criticism, opposition and censure. That, sir, is the English way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-clarke/you-must-learn-to-live-as-i-do-in-the-face-of-constant-criticism/) [Susanna Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-clarke/) > [“Can a magician kill a man by magic?” Lord Wellington asked Strange. Strange frowned. He seemed to dislike the question. “I suppose a magician…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-clarke/can-a-magician-kill-a-man-by-magic-lord-wellington-asked-strange/) [Susanna Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-clarke/) > [How is a magician to exist without books? Let someone explain that to me. It is like asking a politician to achieve high office…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-clarke/how-is-a-magician-to-exist-without-books-let-someone-explain-that-to/) [Susanna Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-clarke/) > [“Mr Norrell was delighted. He did not believe that anyone had ever proposed such a piece of magic before and begged Sir Walter to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-clarke/mr-norrell-was-delighted-he-did-not-believe-that-anyone-had-ever/) [Susanna Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-clarke/) > [“The House is valuable because it is the House. It is enough in and of Itself. It is not the means to an end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-clarke/the-house-is-valuable-because-it-is-the-house-it-is-enough-in-and-of/) [Susanna Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-clarke/) > [“...hatching his poems..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-clarke/hatching-his-poems/) [Susanna Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-clarke/) > [“It was as if a door had opened somewhere. Or possibly a series of doors. There was a sensation as of a breeze blowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-clarke/it-was-as-if-a-door-had-opened-somewhere-or-possibly-a-series-of/) [Susanna Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-clarke/) > [“A gentleman in Mr Norell's position with a fine house and a large estate will always be of interest to his neighbors and, unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-clarke/a-gentleman-in-mr-norell-s-position-with-a-fine-house-and-a-large/) [Susanna Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-clarke/) > [“I have always heard that Italian women are rather fierce.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-clarke/i-have-always-heard-that-italian-women-are-rather-fierce/) [Susanna Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-clarke/) > [“Long, long ago, (said the voice), five hundred years ago or more, on a winter's day at twilight, a young man entered the Church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-clarke/long-long-ago-said-the-voice-five-hundred-years-ago-or-more-on-a/) [Susanna Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-clarke/) > [Well, I suppose one ought not to employ a magician and then complain that he does not behave like other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-clarke/well-i-suppose-one-ought-not-to-employ-a-magician-and-then-complain/) [Susanna Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-clarke/) > [“Fairies do not make a strong distinction between the animate and the inanimate. They believe that stones, doors, trees, fire, clouds and so forth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-clarke/fairies-do-not-make-a-strong-distinction-between-the-animate-and-the/) [Susanna Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-clarke/) > [There is nothing in the world so easy to explain as failure - it is, after all, what everybody does all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-clarke/there-is-nothing-in-the-world-so-easy-to-explain-as-failure-it-is/) [Susanna Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-clarke/) > [How quickly was every bad thing discovered to be the fault of the previous administration (an evil set of men who wedded general stupidity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-clarke/how-quickly-was-every-bad-thing-discovered-to-be-the-fault-of-the/) [Susanna Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-clarke/) > [“Mr. Norrell gazed at Strange with an odd expression upon his face as though he would have been glad of a little conversation with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-clarke/mr-norrell-gazed-at-strange-with-an-odd-expression-upon-his-face-as/) [Susanna Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-clarke/) [Explore all 228 Susanna Clarke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-clarke/) ## More Imprison quotes > [“Society always tries to enslave, imprison, and execute its greatest men, those who dare to stand apart and rise above.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-torode/society-always-tries-to-enslave-imprison-and-execute-its-greatest-men/) [Sam Torode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-torode/) > [As politics is disconnected from its ethical and material moorings, it becomes easier to punish and imprison young people than to educate them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/as-politics-is-disconnected-from-its-ethical-and-material-moorings-it/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [What can my enemies do to me? My paradise is in my heart, it is with me wherever I go. To imprison me is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-taymiyyah/what-can-my-enemies-do-to-me-my-paradise-is-in-my-heart-it-is-with-me/) [Ibn Taymiyyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-taymiyyah/) > [Our confession will either imprison us or set us free. Our confession is the result of our believing, and our believing is the result…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-hagin/our-confession-will-either-imprison-us-or-set-us-free-our-confession/) [Kenneth E. Hagin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-hagin/) > [Nothing can be more abhorrent to democracy than to imprison a person or keep him in prison because he is unpopular. This is really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/nothing-can-be-more-abhorrent-to-democracy-than-to-imprison-a-person/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [“Sometimes your mind can imprison your body and can put your body under some constraints. There is only one way for your body to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/sometimes-your-mind-can-imprison-your-body-and-can-put-your-body/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I wonder why it is that we so often imprison ourselves in the opinions of other people. There can be no punishment worse than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawna-markova/i-wonder-why-it-is-that-we-so-often-imprison-ourselves-in-the/) [Dawna Markova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawna-markova/) > [“It may be bad for you, but government has no role in dictating our lives. People should be free to imprison themselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/it-may-be-bad-for-you-but-government-has-no-role-in-dictating-our/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Let my silence grow with noise as pregnant mothers grow with life. Let my silence permeate these walls as sunlight permeates a home. Let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/let-my-silence-grow-with-noise-as-pregnant-mothers-grow-with-life-let/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [Its better end something and start another than to imprison yourself in hoping for the impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laine/its-better-end-something-and-start-another-than-to-imprison-yourself/) [Laine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laine/) > [“Don't let the unmet expectation to imprison your mind and ruin your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euginia-herlihy/don-t-let-the-unmet-expectation-to-imprison-your-mind-and-ruin-your/) [Euginia Herlihy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euginia-herlihy/) > [You cannot imprison an idea. You have to fight it with a better idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehbooba-mufti/you-cannot-imprison-an-idea-you-have-to-fight-it-with-a-better-idea/) [Mehbooba Mufti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehbooba-mufti/) > [Sometimes the prison of fear is so powerful theres no need to lock the cell doors. Your fear creates a willingness to self-imprison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/sometimes-the-prison-of-fear-is-so-powerful-theres-no-need-to-lock/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [How was she to tie herself to a man without permitting him to imprison her? And was there some means of acquiring things without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/how-was-she-to-tie-herself-to-a-man-without-permitting-him-to/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [I'll imprison you in my heart,A.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zarnab/i-ll-imprison-you-in-my-heart-a/) [Zarnab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zarnab/) [Browse all 48 Imprison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imprison/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is possible, of course,” he said, “to imprison someone within the pattern of a carpet for a thousand years or so. That is a particularly horrible fate which I always reserve for people who have offended me deeply – as have these magicians! The endless repetition of colour and pattern – not to mention the irritation of the dust and the humiliation of stains – never fails to render the prisoner completely mad! The prisoner always emerges from the carpet determined to wreak revenge upon all the world and then the magicians and heroes of that Age must join together to kill him or, more usually, imprison him a second time for yet more thousands of years in some even more ghastly prison. And so he goes on growing in madness and evil as the millennia pass. Yes, carpets! 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