A fountain pen standing upright on stacked matchboxes, casting a long shadow on an orange surface.

Original artwork, not a still

John Steinbeck

The writer must believe that what he is doing is the most important thing in the world. And he must hold to this illusion even when he knows it is not true.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The writer is asked to sustain two conflicting ideas: the work is supremely important, and that belief is an illusion. Knowing it is untrue does not remove the need to believe it. The tension makes commitment sound both necessary and knowingly unreasonable.

Context reviewed

Share this quote