"Adam and Eve are like imaginary numbers, like the square root of minus one... If you include it in your equation, you can calculate all manners of things, which cannot be imagined without it"
- Philip Pullman
About this Quote
This quote by Philip Pullman is a metaphor comparing Adam and Eve to fictional numbers. Imaginary numbers are numbers that can not be revealed as a real number, such as the square root of -1. Pullman is recommending that Adam and Eve resemble imaginary numbers in that they are vital to understanding the world, although they can not be seen or experienced directly. He is implying that without Adam and Eve, we would not have the ability to understand the world around us. Pullman is recommending that Adam and Eve are essential to understanding the world, and that without them, we would not be able to understand the world around us. He is indicating that Adam and Eve are like imaginary numbers because they are essential to comprehending the world, despite the fact that they can not be seen or experienced directly. Pullman is suggesting that by consisting of Adam and Eve in our equation, we can calculate all manners of things that can not be imagined without them. This quote is a powerful reminder of the value of Adam and Eve in our lives, and how they are necessary to comprehending the world around us.
"A lawyer without history or literature is a mechanic, a mere working mason; if he possesses some knowledge of these, he may venture to call himself an architect"