An artist does not have a personal life as we do, he hides it, forcing us to go to his books if we wish to touch the true source of his feelings. Underneath all his preoccupations with sex, society, religion, etc. {all the staple abstractions which allow the forebrain to chatter} there is, quite simply, a man tortured beyond endurance by the lack of tenderness in the world.
Lawrence Durrell suggests that an artist's personal life is often hidden from the world. Instead of sharing their true feelings openly, artists express themselves through their work, which serves as a window into their inner world. Their creations reveal more genuine emotions than their outward lives, compelling us to look into their art to understand their true self.
He emphasizes that beneath the surface concerns of sex, society, and religion—common themes that fill intellectual discourse—there lies a man overwhelmed by a profound lack of tenderness and compassion in the world. Durrell portrays the artist as someone tormented by this emotional void, and his work becomes a reflection of this deep inner pain.
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
Race of Cain, ascend to heaven, And cast God down upon the earth!
