--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is as absurd to say that a man is a…" description: "\"“It is as absurd to say that a man is a drunkard because he describes an orgy or a debauchee because he recounts a debauch, as to pretend that a man is..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d6/theophile-gautier-7224_books_it-is-as-absurd-to-say-that-a-man-is-a-d_95988.jpg" --- # It is as absurd to say that a man is a drunkard because he… ![“It is as absurd to say that a man is a drunkard because he describes an orgy or a debauchee because he recounts a debauch, as to pretend that a man is virtuous because he has written a moral book; every day we see the contrary. It is the character who speaks and not the author; the fact that his…” quote by Théophile Gautier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d6/theophile-gautier-7224_books_it-is-as-absurd-to-say-that-a-man-is-a-d_95988.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d6/theophile-gautier-7224_books_it-is-as-absurd-to-say-that-a-man-is-a-d_95988.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d6/theophile-gautier-7224_books_it-is-as-absurd-to-say-that-a-man-is-a-d_95988.jpg) > ““It is as absurd to say that a man is a drunkard because he describes an orgy or a debauchee because he recounts a debauch, as to pretend that a man is virtuous because he has written a moral book; every day we see the contrary. It is the character who speaks and not the author; the fact that his hero is an atheist does not make him an atheist; his brigands act and speak like brigands, but he is not therefore a brigand himself. At that rate it would be necessary to guillotine Shakespeare, Corneille, and all the tragic writers; they have committed more murders than Mandrin and Cartouche.”” [Théophile Gautier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophile-gautier/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He argues that a writer’s personal character should not be inferred from the immoral actions of fictional characters; judging authors by their creations is absurd. **In simple terms:** Separating author from character Key Takeaway Fiction does not reflect author’s morals Themes literature authorial intent moral judgment fiction vs. reality criticism Mood analytical skeptical provocative Type critical essay philosophical argumentative When to use this quote - analyzing controversial novels - teaching literary criticism - debating authorial responsibility - writing a review of a morally ambiguous work - discussing the role of imagination in art Key Concepts interpretive criticism ethical reading literary theory Practical Applications - drafting a scholarly article on authorial separation - creating a workshop on reading beyond author biography Questions to Reflect On - Should we hold creators accountable for their characters? - How does this view affect literary criticism? A Different Perspective null ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Then not only an old man, but also a drunkard, becomes a second time a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/then-not-only-an-old-man-but-also-a-drunkard-becomes-a-second-time-a/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Then not only an old man, but also a drunkard, becomesa second time a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/then-not-only-an-old-man-but-also-a-drunkard-becomesa-second-time-a/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [A sober man may become a drunkard through being a coward. A brave man may become a coward through being a drunkard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/a-sober-man-may-become-a-drunkard-through-being-a-coward-a-brave-man/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [The drunkard is convicted by his praises of wine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/the-drunkard-is-convicted-by-his-praises-of-wine/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [“Headaches are for sloths as hangovers for drunks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-mostafa/headaches-are-for-sloths-as-hangovers-for-drunks/) [Ahmed Mostafa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-mostafa/) > [“I looked at him and did not answer; there flashed through my mind a quick, running picture of all the squalid hovels in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wright/i-looked-at-him-and-did-not-answer-there-flashed-through-my-mind-a/) [Richard Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wright/) > [I am a drunkard from another kind of tavern. I dance to a silent tune. I am the symphony of stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/i-am-a-drunkard-from-another-kind-of-tavern-i-dance-to-a-silent-tune/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“Noise does not waken a drunkard; silence wakens him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/noise-does-not-waken-a-drunkard-silence-wakens-him/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [A drunkard is one thing, and a temperate man is quite another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-keith/a-drunkard-is-one-thing-and-a-temperate-man-is-quite-another/) [Arthur Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-keith/) > [There is nothing more stubborn than a drunkard trying to convince you he is not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/there-is-nothing-more-stubborn-than-a-drunkard-trying-to-convince-you/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [“These are the words of a fool: I am happy to be a fool, for i won't spend my time gazing at lines difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/these-are-the-words-of-a-fool-i-am-happy-to-be-a-fool-for-i-won-t/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [Some people miss flesh as a drunkard misses his dram.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/some-people-miss-flesh-as-a-drunkard-misses-his-dram/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [“Your son is a drunkard,” she informed him. Then she caught a whiff of Roger’s breath. “Following in his father’s footsteps, I see,” she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/your-son-is-a-drunkard-she-informed-him-then-she-caught-a-whiff-of/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [Sometimes I wish I was just a simple drunkard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-morrissey/sometimes-i-wish-i-was-just-a-simple-drunkard/) [Steven Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-morrissey/) > [A drunkard is like a whiskey-bottle, all neck and belly and no head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/a-drunkard-is-like-a-whiskey-bottle-all-neck-and-belly-and-no-head/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) ## More by Théophile Gautier > [“(Decadent style) is ingenious, complicated, learned, full of shades of meaning and research, always pushing further the limits of language... forcing itself to express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theophile-gautier/decadent-style-is-ingenious-complicated-learned-full-of-shades-of/) [Theophile Gautier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophile-gautier/) > [Art is beauty, the perpetual invention of detail, the choice of words, the exquisite care of execution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theophile-gautier/art-is-beauty-the-perpetual-invention-of-detail-the-choice-of-words/) [Theophile Gautier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophile-gautier/) > [It is difficult to obtain the friendship of a cat. It is a philosophical animal... one that does not place its affections thoughtlessly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theophile-gautier/it-is-difficult-to-obtain-the-friendship-of-a-cat-it-is-a/) [Theophile Gautier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophile-gautier/) > [ \[A cat\] will make itself the companion of your hours of work, of loneliness, or of sadness. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theophile-gautier/a-cat-will-make-itself-the-companion-of-your-hours-of-work-of/) [Theophile Gautier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophile-gautier/) > [It may well be that the pictures of Courbet, Manet, Monet and their like contain beauties which escape the notice of such old romantic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theophile-gautier/it-may-well-be-that-the-pictures-of-courbet-manet-monet-and-their/) [Theophile Gautier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophile-gautier/) > [“What is the use of beauty in woman? Provided a woman is physically well made and capable of bearing children, she will always be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theophile-gautier/what-is-the-use-of-beauty-in-woman-provided-a-woman-is-physically/) [Théophile Gautier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophile-gautier/) > [“Smoke By Théophile Gautier Translated by Norman R. Shapiro Over there, trees are sheltering A hunchedback hut... A slum, no more... Roof askew, walls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theophile-gautier/smoke-by-th-ophile-gautier-translated-by-norman-r-shapiro-over-there/) [Theophile Gautier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophile-gautier/) > [It is gentle manners which prove so irresistible in women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theophile-gautier/it-is-gentle-manners-which-prove-so-irresistible-in-women/) [Theophile Gautier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophile-gautier/) > [There is nothing truly beautiful but that which can never be of any use whatsoever; everything useful is ugly, for it is the expression…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theophile-gautier/there-is-nothing-truly-beautiful-but-that-which-can-never-be-of-any/) [Theophile Gautier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophile-gautier/) > [To love is to admire with the heart; to admire is to love with the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theophile-gautier/to-love-is-to-admire-with-the-heart-to-admire-is-to-love-with-the-mind/) [Theophile Gautier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophile-gautier/) > [“This apparent hurly-burly and disorder turn out, after all, to reproduce real life with its fantastic ways more accurately than the most carefully studied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theophile-gautier/this-apparent-hurly-burly-and-disorder-turn-out-after-all-to/) [Théophile Gautier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophile-gautier/) > [The word poet literally means maker: anything which is not well made doesn't exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theophile-gautier/the-word-poet-literally-means-maker-anything-which-is-not-well-made/) [Theophile Gautier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophile-gautier/) > [I was born to travel and write verse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theophile-gautier/i-was-born-to-travel-and-write-verse/) [Theophile Gautier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophile-gautier/) > [“I have kept thee long in waiting, dear Romuald, and thou mayst well have thought that I had forgotten thee. But I have come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theophile-gautier/i-have-kept-thee-long-in-waiting-dear-romuald-and-thou-mayst-well/) [Théophile Gautier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophile-gautier/) > [“Nothing is truly beautiful unless it cannot be used for anything; everything that is useful is ugly because it is the expression of some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theophile-gautier/nothing-is-truly-beautiful-unless-it-cannot-be-used-for-anything/) [Theophile Gautier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophile-gautier/) [Explore all 86 Théophile Gautier quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophile-gautier/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. 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Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is as absurd to say that a man is a drunkard because he describes an orgy or a debauchee because he recounts a debauch, as to pretend that a man is virtuous because he has written a moral book; every day we see the contrary. It is the character who speaks and not the author; the fact that his hero is an atheist does not make him an atheist; his brigands act and speak like brigands, but he is not therefore a brigand himself. 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