It is not the first duty of the novelist to provide blueprints for insurrection, or uplifting tales of successful resistance for the benefit of the opposition. The naming of what is there is what is important.
Meaning of the quote
The quote means that writers should not write stories with the main goal of helping people start a rebellion or fight against the government. Instead, the most important thing is for writers to simply describe what is really happening in the world, without trying to change it.
About Ian Mcewan
Ian McEwan is a renowned British novelist and screenwriter. He began his career writing short stories and has since won numerous accolades, including the Booker Prize for his novel Amsterdam. McEwan’s works have been adapted into acclaimed films, making him one of the most influential figures in British culture.
More quotes from Ian Mcewan
It is not the first duty of the novelist to provide blueprints for insurrection, or uplifting tales of successful resistance for the benefit of the opposition. The naming of what is there is what is important.
British author
By concentrating on what is good in people, by appealing to their idealism and their sense of justice, and by asking them to put their faith in the future, socialists put themselves at a severe disadvantage.
British author
One has to have the courage of one’s pessimism.
British author
Politics is the enemy of the imagination.
British author
You enter a state of controlled passivity, you relax your grip and accept that even if your declared intention is to justify the ways of God to man, you might end up interesting your readers rather more in Satan.
British author