“Harton thought that if one squeezed humanity through a wine press, its essence would flow out as drops of policemen.”
In this quote by Georges Limbour, the imagery of squeezing humanity through a wine press to produce policemen paints a grim picture of society. The metaphor suggests that the essence of humanity is distilled down to authority figures like policemen, implying a loss of individuality and humanity in the process. This quote speaks to the dehumanization and uniformity that can occur in society when power structures overshadow the unique qualities of human beings.
In this quote by Georges Limbour, the idea of squeezing humanity through a wine press and having policemen as the essence that flows out may seem metaphorical, but it holds modern relevance in the context of the role of policing in society. The quote highlights the significant presence and influence of law enforcement officers in our daily lives. Just as how the essence of wine is extracted through pressure, the essence of order and safety in society is often symbolized by the presence of police officers. Today, police officers play a critical role in maintaining law and order, responding to emergencies, and ensuring the security of communities. They are seen as the enforcers of rules and regulations, much like how the essence of humanity is represented by drops of policemen in this thought-provoking quote.
In the novel, the character Harton reflects on society in a unique way, comparing humanity to drops of policemen. This quote by Georges Limbour showcases the complexity of his thoughts and the deep insight he has into human nature.
Reflecting on this quote by Georges Limbour, consider the following questions:
“Having spent a long time in open spaces, whether sea or desert, it is a luxury to be able to take refuge in towns with narrow streets which provide a fragile fortress against the assaults of the infinite. There is such a sense of security against the boundless there, even if the murmur of the wave or the silence of the sands still pursue one through tortuous corridors. The winds, despite their subtle spirits, are themselves lost in the vestibules of this labyrinth and, unable to find a way through, whistle and turn in turbulence like demented dervishes. They will not break through the walls of this den in which life still pulsates in the shadows of humanity's black sun.”
“Once the frontiers of horror have been crossed, one will pass from form to form beyond the human and from metamorphosis to metamorphosis to accomplish, in the anguish of an impossible return, the most terrible journey to the depths of darkness.”
“During winter sunsets, standing on a promontory so I saw the scenic sea as a surface rather than a line and, as coal-boats appeared from all sides of the horizon, I thought that, as they opened their portholes, they would throw their coals onto this fire. They swarmed over the ocean like blowflies ready to devour the decomposed star, and the blank gesture of a cloud fanned them.”
“The Actor, noticing a closed bookshop, dismounted from the horse which he tied to a street lamp. He woke up the bookseller and bought a Spanish grammar and dictionary. He set out again across town marveling at the way that the words of the foreign language were freshly gathered fruits and not old and dry. They touched the senses marvelously, new like young beggars who accost you, not yet words but the every things they designate, happily running naked before being clothed again in abstraction.”
“And there above all of these shops hung a blood soaked sign: a red hand, the hand of a child that was neither male nor female and yet roused feelings of the most dejected and criminal love”
“You speak of the hand of Fatma, my friends, but you do not know the terrible power of this hand, the hand of monsters that menace you and seduce you with their subterranean access, their metallic splintering, their inhuman grotesqueness of idols.”