Red Dusk and the Morrow · Chapter
Epigraph explained
The epigraph quotes James Bryce's 'Modern Democracies,' warning that independence of thought, once threatened by monarchs, may again be endangered by new forms of intolerance even under popular government.
What happens
The epigraph quotes James Bryce's 'Modern Democracies,' warning that independence of thought, once threatened by monarchs, may again be endangered by new forms of intolerance even under popular government.
Themes in this chapter
Totalitarian Control and Repression
The epigraph foreshadows how revolutionary governments can suppress independent thought, a core concern of the memoir.
Key passages
“Nothing is more vital to national progress than the spontaneous development of individual character. … Independence of thought was formerly threatened by monarchs who feared the disaffection of their subjects. May it not again be threatened by other forms of intolerance, possible even in a popular government?”
National progress depends on individual character development. While monarchs once threatened free thought, popular governments might also impose new intolerances.
Sets the thematic stage for the memoir's exploration of ideological oppression.