"Also, an area that interests me - and it will probably take years to state what I mean - is the period of the rise of democracy, with Tom Paine, which is around the turn of the 18th century into the 19th"

This quote by Fiona Shaw speaks to her interest in the duration of the rise of democracy, which is around the turn of the 18th century into the 19th. This period is typically related to the writings of Tom Paine, who was an essential figure in the American Revolution and a proponent of democracy. Shaw suggests that it will take her years to fully comprehend and articulate her ideas on this period, which speaks with the complexity of the topic. This duration was a time of terrific modification and upheaval, as the world moved away from monarchies and towards more democratic kinds of government. It was also a time of terrific intellectual and philosophical argument, as thinkers looked for to understand the implications of democracy and how it could be used in practice. Shaw's interest in this duration is most likely due to its significance in the advancement of modern democracy and its implications for the world today.