If a man dreams that he has committed a sin before which the sun hid his face, it is often safe to conjecture that, in sheer forgetfulness, he wore a red tie, or brown boots with evening dress.

Arthur Machen’s quote reflects his playful and ironic take on the nature of dreams and their symbolic meanings. He suggests that when a man dreams of committing a sin so great that it causes the sun to hide its face, it may not be a reflection of deep moral failings but rather something as trivial as forgetting to wear the appropriate attire—like a red tie or brown boots with evening dress. Machen humorously points out that dreams about guilt or sin might often stem from minor oversights or inconsequential errors in real life rather than profound moral wrongs.

The essence of the quote highlights the way our subconscious mind may exaggerate insignificant actions or mistakes, turning them into grandiose moral scenarios in our dreams. Machen’s approach is both psychological and satirical, suggesting that the mind can attach overblown significance to trivial things, leading to guilt or fear that doesn’t match the actual gravity of the situation. This idea plays with the absurdity of human nature and how we can sometimes assign exaggerated importance to the smallest of faults or slips.

The origin of this quote is found in Machen’s work as a writer of horror and the supernatural, where he often explored themes of mystery and human psychology. Known for his distinctive style in stories like The White People and The Great God Pan, Machen frequently used his writing to probe the strange ways in which the human mind interprets reality and dreams. This quote reflects his deeper interest in the symbolism of dreams and how they can reveal the subconscious mind’s tendency to create exaggerated scenarios.

Ultimately, Machen’s quote offers a humorous yet insightful perspective on the human experience, showing how small and inconsequential events can be magnified in dreams. His words remind us of the irrationality of the dream world, where minor actions or mistakes can take on a larger-than-life significance, leading us to feel guilt or shame over trivial matters. This playful examination of human psychology underscores the complexity and often absurd nature of the subconscious mind.