Everyone is necessarily the hero of his own life story. Hamlet could be told from Polonius's point of view and called The Tragedy of Polonius, Lord Chamberlain of Denmark. He didn't think he was a minor character in anything, I daresay.
John Barth The End of the Road
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The quote emphasizes that everyone views themselves as the central figure in their own life narrative. Each individual perceives their experiences and decisions as significant, often overlooking the perspectives of others. This idea is illustrated by the example of Hamlet, suggesting that even seemingly minor characters like Polonius have their own stories and motivations, believing they are crucial to the unfolding drama.

John Barth’s commentary invites readers to consider alternative viewpoints and the subjective nature of storytelling. By imagining the same plot through Polonius's eyes, it reveals the complexity of character dynamics and the rich tapestry of narratives that exist within a single tale. This perspective challenges the traditional notion of protagonist and highlights that every person, regardless of their perceived importance, views their life as a central story worth telling.

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The End of the Road
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John Barth
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Other quotes in The End of the Road

My classes commenced on the seventh of September, a tall blue day as crisp as the white starched blouses of the coeds who filed into my classroom and nervously took their seats. Standing behind the lectern at eight o'clock sharp, suit fresh-pressed and chin scraped clean, I felt my nostrils flare like a stud's at the nubby tight sex of them, flustered and pink-scrubbed, giggling and moist; my tighs flexed, and I yawned ferociously.
John Barth The End of the Road
My classes commenced on the seventh of September, a tall blue day as crisp as the white starched blouses of the coeds who filed into my classroom and nervously took their seats. Standing behind the lectern at eight o'clock sharp, suit fresh-pressed and chin scraped clean, I felt my nostrils flare like a stud's at the nubby tight sex of them, flustered and pink-scrubbed, giggling and moist; my tighs flexed, and I yawned ferociously.
There was no reason to do anything. My eyes, like Winckelmann, improperly said of the Greek statues, were without gaze, fixed to eternity, aimed at the ultimate goal, and when things are thus there is no reason to do anything, not even to adjust the fire of their eyes. Which is perhaps the reason why the statues are stopped. I was struck by the "cosmopsis" disease, the cosmic view. When one has this disease he stiffens like the frog when the hunter's light strikes it in the eyes; Except that with Cosmopsis there is neither hunter nor a quick hand that puts an end at the moment - there is only the light.
John Barth The End of the Road
There was no reason to do anything. My eyes, like Winckelmann, improperly said of the Greek statues, were without gaze, fixed to eternity, aimed at the ultimate goal, and when things are thus there is no reason to do anything, not even to adjust the fire of their eyes. Which is perhaps the reason why the statues are stopped. I was struck by the "cosmopsis" disease, the cosmic view. When one has this disease he stiffens like the frog when the hunter's light strikes it in the eyes; Except that with Cosmopsis there is neither hunter nor a quick hand that puts an end at the moment - there is only the light.
Everyone is necessarily the hero of his own life story. Hamlet could be told from Polonius's point of view and called The Tragedy of Polonius, Lord Chamberlain of Denmark. He didn't think he was a minor character in anything, I daresay.
John Barth The End of the Road
Everyone is necessarily the hero of his own life story. Hamlet could be told from Polonius's point of view and called The Tragedy of Polonius, Lord Chamberlain of Denmark. He didn't think he was a minor character in anything, I daresay.
Articulation! There, by Joe, was MY absolute, if I could be said to have one. At any rate, it is the only thing I can think of about which I ever had, with any frequency at all, the feelings one usually has for one's absolutes. To turn experience into speech - that is, to classify, to categorize, to conceptualize, to grammarize, to syntactify it - is always a betrayal of experience, a falsification of it; but only so betrayed can it be dealt with at all, and only in so dealing with it did I ever feel a man, alive and kicking.
John Barth The End of the Road
Articulation! There, by Joe, was MY absolute, if I could be said to have one. At any rate, it is the only thing I can think of about which I ever had, with any frequency at all, the feelings one usually has for one's absolutes. To turn experience into speech - that is, to classify, to categorize, to conceptualize, to grammarize, to syntactify it - is always a betrayal of experience, a falsification of it; but only so betrayed can it be dealt with at all, and only in so dealing with it did I ever feel a man, alive and kicking.
path's should be laid where people walk, instead of walking where paths are laid
John Barth The End of the Road
path's should be laid where people walk, instead of walking where paths are laid
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
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I don't have anything against God. Far from it. But I don't understand Him. And I don't trust a lot of the people that go around claiming that they're working in His best interests.
Jim Butcher Grave Peril
I don't have anything against God. Far from it. But I don't understand Him. And I don't trust a lot of the people that go around claiming that they're working in His best interests.
Now that you're an adult, you might still feel a pang of guilt when you decline a dinner invitation in favor of a good book. Or maybe you like to eat alone in restaurants and could do without the pitying looks from fellow diners. Or you're told that you're "in your head too much," a phrase that's often deployed against the quiet and cerebral. Of course, there's another word for such people: thinkers.
Susan Cain Quiet: The Power of...
Now that you're an adult, you might still feel a pang of guilt when you decline a dinner invitation in favor of a good book. Or maybe you like to eat alone in restaurants and could do without the pitying looks from fellow diners. Or you're told that you're "in your head too much," a phrase that's often deployed against the quiet and cerebral. Of course, there's another word for such people: thinkers.
I found Esau's field guide at the bottom of my pack. Taking a candle into the bedroom, I read his book until my eyes grew heavy. From his vast notes, it seemed that almost every plant and tree in the jungle had a reason for existing. I caught myself wishing there was a page in his guide that had my picture on it with the reason for my existence written underneath in Esau's neat hand.
Maria V. Snyder Magic Study
I found Esau's field guide at the bottom of my pack. Taking a candle into the bedroom, I read his book until my eyes grew heavy. From his vast notes, it seemed that almost every plant and tree in the jungle had a reason for existing. I caught myself wishing there was a page in his guide that had my picture on it with the reason for my existence written underneath in Esau's neat hand.
Here's a nifty solution: Each couple that marries should take on an entirely new surname, chosen however they want as long as both agree to it, so that a day after the wedding, both husband and wife can hold hands and joyfully journey off to the municipal offices to change their passports, driver's licenses, signatures, initials, bank accounts, etc.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Dear Ijeawele, or A...
Here's a nifty solution: Each couple that marries should take on an entirely new surname, chosen however they want as long as both agree to it, so that a day after the wedding, both husband and wife can hold hands and joyfully journey off to the municipal offices to change their passports, driver's licenses, signatures, initials, bank accounts, etc.
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