--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Each time that he uttered the word sir…" description: "\"“Each time that he uttered the word sir, in his voice which was so gently grave and polished, the man's face lighted up. Monsieur to a convict is like ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f2/victor-hugo-32_time_each-time-that-he-uttered-the-word-sir-i_696448.jpg" --- # Each time that he uttered the word sir, in his voice which… ![“Each time that he uttered the word sir, in his voice which was so gently grave and polished, the man's face lighted up. Monsieur to a convict is like a glass of water to one of the shipwrecked of the Medusa. Ignominy thirsts for consideration.” quote by Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f2/victor-hugo-32_time_each-time-that-he-uttered-the-word-sir-i_696448.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f2/victor-hugo-32_time_each-time-that-he-uttered-the-word-sir-i_696448.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f2/victor-hugo-32_time_each-time-that-he-uttered-the-word-sir-i_696448.jpg) > ““Each time that he uttered the word sir, in his voice which was so gently grave and polished, the man's face lighted up. Monsieur to a convict is like a glass of water to one of the shipwrecked of the Medusa. Ignominy thirsts for consideration.”” [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Politeness and respect can revive dignity in those who are degraded, offering them a vital sense of acknowledgment. **In simple terms:** Respect restores dignity for the ignored. Key Takeaway Offer genuine respect to uplift others. Themes dignity respect humanity Mood empathetic reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - customer service - prison reform - rehabilitation programs - team leadership Key Concepts social hierarchy psychology of status Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure respect leads to real empowerment? - What are the limits of courtesy in oppressive contexts? A Different Perspective Respect alone may not change systemic oppression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Monsieur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monsieur-432194/) [Monsieur Convict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monsieur-convict-4779642/) [Sir Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sir-voice-5522659/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Uttered Word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uttered-word-2159319/) [Word Sir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/word-sir-5522658/) ## Related quotes > [Monsieur' to a convict is a glass of water to a man dying of thirst at sea; ignominy thirsts for respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/monsieur-to-a-convict-is-a-glass-of-water-to-a-man-dying-of-thirst-at/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [And do you know Monsieur Marius? I believe I was a little in love with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/and-do-you-know-monsieur-marius-i-believe-i-was-a-little-in-love-with/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Monsieur Bienvenu was simply a man who accepted these mysterious questions...and who had in his soul a deep respect for the mystery which enveloped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/monsieur-bienvenu-was-simply-a-man-who-accepted-these-mysterious/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Each time he uttered the word ‘Monsieur’ in his mild, compassionable voice, the man’s face lighted up. The courtesy, to the ex-convict, was like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/each-time-he-uttered-the-word-monsieur-in-his-mild-compassionable/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [If I ever uttered one word that I said in 'Kick-Ass', I would be grounded for years! I'd be stuck in my room until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-ever-uttered-one-word-that-i-said-in-kick-ass-i-would-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Let them hear your voice so rarely that a simply-uttered word creates a hush of expectancy in the room.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/let-them-hear-your-voice-so-rarely-that-a-simply-uttered-word-creates/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [I never uttered a word about things, but with my age now, I've completely lost all reservations. In more ways than one. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giovanna-cau/i-never-uttered-a-word-about-things-but-with-my-age-now-i-ve/) [Giovanna Cau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giovanna-cau/) > [“How you, O Athenians, have been affected by my accusers, I cannot tell; but I know that they almost made me forget who I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/how-you-o-athenians-have-been-affected-by-my-accusers-i-cannot-tell/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [“I'd like to ask you more about your ears if I may," I said. "You want to ask whether or not my ears possess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-d-like-to-ask-you-more-about-your-ears-if-i-may-i-said-you-want-to/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Neither of us uttered a word about what happened. We never do. But I can't smudge it from my mind. The farm boys' sneering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/neither-of-us-uttered-a-word-about-what-happened-we-never-do-but-i/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [If it was up to me, if you uttered the word 'gun control,' we'd put you in jail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/if-it-was-up-to-me-if-you-uttered-the-word-gun-control-we-d-put-you/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [You do not know how long I believed the words I can before I finally uttered the word I quit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-do-not-know-how-long-i-believed-the-words-i-can-before-i-finally/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“This is a plot: I hope he will keep quiet while he looks at them. I dive under the table and push the chest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/this-is-a-plot-i-hope-he-will-keep-quiet-while-he-looks-at-them-i/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [“The footman burst in, announcing, 'Monsieur le Duc de ---.' 'Hold your tongue, you fool,' said the Duke as he entered the room. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/the-footman-burst-in-announcing-monsieur-le-duc-de-hold-your-tongue/) [Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/) > [ \[T\]he appropriate form of address between man and man ought to be, not monsieur, sir, but fellow sufferer, compagnon de miseres. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/t-he-appropriate-form-of-address-between-man-and-man-ought-to-be-not/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) ## More by Victor Hugo > [Houses are like the human beings that inhabit them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/houses-are-like-the-human-beings-that-inhabit-them/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“There is still a certain grace in a dead festival. It has been happy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/there-is-still-a-certain-grace-in-a-dead-festival-it-has-been-happy/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“First I loved women, then animals, and now I love stones. They're just as amusing as women and animals and they're much less trecherous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/first-i-loved-women-then-animals-and-now-i-love-stones-they-re-just/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Nature is pitiless; she never withdraws her flowers, her music, her fragrance, and her sunlight from before human cruelty or suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/nature-is-pitiless-she-never-withdraws-her-flowers-her-music-her/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Have courage for the great sorrows of life, and patience for the small ones. And when you have finished your daily task, go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/have-courage-for-the-great-sorrows-of-life-and-patience-for-the-small/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [The peasants of the Asturias believe that in every litter of wolves there is one pup that is killed by the mother for fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/the-peasants-of-the-asturias-believe-that-in-every-litter-of-wolves/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Great blunders are often made, like large ropes, of a multitude of fibres.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/great-blunders-are-often-made-like-large-ropes-of-a-multitude-of/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“For love is like a tree; it grows of itself; it send its roots deep into our being, and often continues to grow green…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/for-love-is-like-a-tree-it-grows-of-itself-it-send-its-roots-deep/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Blacheville smiles with the self-satisfied smugness of a man whose vanity is tickled”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/blacheville-smiles-with-the-self-satisfied-smugness-of-a-man-whose/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Loving in ignorance, she loved with all the more passion. She did not know whether it was good or evil, beneficent or dangerous, necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/loving-in-ignorance-she-loved-with-all-the-more-passion-she-did-not/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/laughter-is-the-sun-that-drives-winter-from-the-human-face/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Our joys have shadows. The perfect smile belongs to God alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/our-joys-have-shadows-the-perfect-smile-belongs-to-god-alone/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“When those we love are in question, our prudence invents every sort of madness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/when-those-we-love-are-in-question-our-prudence-invents-every-sort-of/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Love is a fault; so be it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/love-is-a-fault-so-be-it/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) [Explore all 2,181 Victor Hugo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) ## More Time quotes > ['Mad TV' is one of my most favorite shows of all time and is a huge part of my obsession with sketch comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/mad-tv-is-one-of-my-most-favorite-shows-of-all-time-and-is-a-huge/) [Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/) > [These joys were so trifling as to be as imperceptible as grains of gold among the sand, and in moments of depression she saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/these-joys-were-so-trifling-as-to-be-as-imperceptible-as-grains-of/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“William didn't look like he'd be difficult about anything - he was thin and sandy-haired and already wore eyeglasses like his father. 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Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [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/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. 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