Quotessence
Home / Topics / Human Acts Quotes

Human Acts Quotes

Browse 151 quotes about Human Acts.

Human Acts Quotes

“I think of the festering wound in my side. Of the bullet that tore in there. The strange chill, the seeming blunt force, of that initial impact, That instantly became a lump of fire churning my insides, Of the hole it made in my other side, where it flew out and tugged my hot blood behind it. Of the barrel it was blasted out of. Of the smooth trigger. Of the eye that had me in its sights. Of the eyes of the one who gave the order to fire.”

Human ActsHan Kang
Book:Human Acts
Create image

“The one stage in the process that you couldn't quite get your head around was the singing of the national anthem, which took place at a brief, informal memorial service for the bereaved families, after their dead had been formally placed in the coffins. It was also strange to see the Taegukgi, the national flag, being spread over each coffin and tied tightly in place. Why would you sing the national anthem for people who'd been killed by soldiers? Why cover the coffin with the Taegukgi? As though it wasn't the nation itself that had murdered them”

Human ActsHan Kang
Book:Human Acts
Create image

“Is it true that human beings are fundamentally cruel? Is the experience of cruelty the only thing we share as a species? Is the dignity that we cling to nothing but self-delusion, masking from ourselves the single truth: that each one of us is capable of being reduced to an insect, a ravening beast, a lump of meat? To be degraded, slaughtered - is this the essential of humankind, one which history has confirmed as inevitable?”

Human Acts
Book:Human Acts
Create image

“For God's sake," I begged, "let me inside. Or just tell my son we're here. Tell him to come out, just for a moment." Your brother couldn't stand by any longer; he declared that he'd go and fetch you out himself, but one of the militiamen shook his head. "If you go in now, that's it, we can't let you back out again. Everyone who's stayed behind has decided to do so at their own risk. They're all prepared to die if they have to." When your brother raised his voice to say that he understood and was prepared to go in anyway, I quickly cut him off. "There's no need," I said, "Dong-ho'll come home as soon as he gets the chance. He made a promise...." I said it because it was so dark all around us, because I was imagining soldiers springing out of the darkness at any moment. Because I was afraid of losing yet another son. And that was how I lost you.”

Human ActsKang Han
Book:Human Acts
Create image