What does …a dwarf standing on the shoulders of a giant may see farther than a giant himself. . mean?
i am writing a paper and i need to explain why ray bradbury chose to include this quote in his novel Fahrenheit 451. I have already read the book but i can't seem to relate the quote to the books theme so i was hoping that someone would be able to help me understand what the quote is trying to say. Thank you.
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In order to see further ( in the sense of insight ) than others, it is not necessary to make the grand leap all by oneself but, rather, to build upon the wisdom of others.
To build upon the previous two (very good) answers, the quote means literally: a giant is tall, and theoretically should be able to see much further than a dwarf. However, if the dwarf is on the giant's shoulders, he can see further!
Figuratively, it can mean that one can be small, weak, or not "the best" but with the help of someone else (a "giant" in his/her way) that small, weak person can do what s/he sets out to do, and maybe do MORE than the giant can.
The quote means that once someone has instilled the vision, or has lead the way, it is easier for a "normal" person to continue on the path. An example of this is how Einstein came up with his theory of relativity, but his disciples were able to make both atomic power, and the bomb.