Günter Grass — Quote from Dog Years

“The job of a citizen is to keep his mouth open.”

Dog Years (1963)

Concepts: agency, rebellion, freedom

Resonant Quotes

“Your silence will not protect you.” — Audre Lorde, Sister Outsider Both quotes directly confront the political and moral imperative of vocal resistance, recognizing that silence in the...
“Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless me...” — Paulo Freire, The Politics of Education Grass's citizen whose job is to keep his mouth open and Freire's warning against false neutrality both insist that si...
“What is a rebel? A man who says no, but whose refusal does not imply a renunc...” — Albert Camus, The Rebel Both quotes frame active citizenship and rebellion as forms of principled refusal that affirm human dignity through t...
“What is a rebel? A man who says no, but whose refusal does not imply a renunc...” — Albert Camus, The Rebel Grass's citizen with an open mouth embodies Camus's rebel who simultaneously says no to injustice and yes to human va...
“I will not serve that in which I no longer believe, whether it calls itself m...” — James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Both demand active resistance to oppressive authority, though Joyce chooses exile and artistic expression while Grass...
“Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfil...” — Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth Both quotes demand active engagement with one's historical moment—Fanon's generational mission-finding and Grass's ci...
“Surplus repression is the restrictions necessitated by social domination. Thi...” — Herbert Marcuse, Eros and Civilization Grass's call for civic voice directly challenges Marcuse's surplus repression by advocating for the kind of expressiv...
“When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, t...” — Audre Lorde, The Cancer Journals Both advocate for active civic engagement despite potential consequences, with Lorde emphasizing the courage to act o...