Out of Africa Literature and Writing Quotes

How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from Out of Africa.

Quote #1

KAREN: But I've gone ahead of my story. He'd have hated that. Denys loved to hear a story told well.

Right from the beginning we see how important storytelling is to her. The film seems to take the opinion that Denys was the one responsible for convincing Karen to write, though it might be more accurate to say that it helped bind her to him more closely. Because love.

Quote #2

KAREN: Oh, yes. He has got lovely books. Does he lend them?

BERKELEY: We had a friend, Hopworth, he'd got a book from Denys and didn't return it. Denys was furious. I said to Denys, "You wouldn't lose a friend for the sake of a book." He said, "No," but he has, hasn't he?

This is an interesting quote considering how critical Denys is of Karen and her stuff later in the film. But books were pretty valuable back then, and collections were treasured. Berkeley clearly considered Denys' reverence for his books strange.

Quote #3

DENYS: Did you know that in all of literature, there's no poem celebrating the foot. There's lips, eyes, hands, face, hair, breasts, legs, arms, even the knees. But not one verse for the poor foot. Why do you think that is?

KAREN: Priorities, I suppose. Did you think you would make one?

DENYS: Problem is there's nothing to rhyme it with.

KAREN: Put.

DENYS: It's not a noun.

KAREN: Doesn't matter. Along he came and he did put...upon my farm his clumsy foot.

This quote is basically an English grammar joke. Karen knew the rules of poetry. Denys knew the rules of prose. They're playing with each other. Kinda cute, isn't it?