He is interested in the feelings of the squash ball, and of the champagne bottle that launches the ship. In a football match his sympathy is not with either of the teams but with the ball, or, in a match ending nil-nil, with the hunger of the goalmouth.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Bennett describes a writer who empathizes with inanimate objects and abstract moments rather than human competitors or outcomes.
- In plain terms
- The writer cares more about the ball than the teams.
- What can you take from it?
- Artists often find humanity in objects.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Where do you find empathy?
- Can objects feel?
Another view
It ignores the human drama that usually drives sports stories.
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