People

People are the pulse of literature: strangers met in passing, families bound by love and grievance, crowds that comfort or crush, and solitary figures learning who they are. Quotes in this category trace the many ways humans see one another—through admiration, suspicion, tenderness, envy, and hard-won understanding. You’ll find lines about character and reputation, kindness and cruelty, friendship and betrayal, the masks we wear in public, and the private truths that slip through. Some quotations capture the comedy of manners; others confront prejudice, power, and the cost of belonging. Together they map the everyday drama of being human, reminding readers that every story is, at heart, a study of people and the complicated worlds they make.