“ If one doesn't talk about a thing, it has never happened. It is simply expression . . . that gives reality to things. ”
Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). copy citation
| Author | Oscar Wilde |
|---|---|
| Source | The Picture of Dorian Gray |
| Topic | reality talking things |
| Date | 1890 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/174/174-h/174-h.htm |
Context
“"I was at the opera. You should have come on there. I met Lady Gwendolen, Harry's sister, for the first time. We were in her box. She is perfectly charming; and Patti sang divinely. Don't talk about horrid subjects. If one doesn't talk about a thing, it has never happened. It is simply expression, as Harry says, that gives reality to things. I may mention that she was not the woman's only child. There is a son, a charming fellow, I believe. But he is not on the stage. He is a sailor, or something. And now, tell me about yourself and what you are painting."”
source
Meaning and analysis
