There's the quote 'Carpe Diem' which means 'Seize the Day'. It has inspired many to make the most of every moment. For short stories, 'The Yellow Wallpaper' by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is memorable. It's a powerful exploration of a woman's mental state and the restrictions placed on her in society.
One memorable one is from 'A Modest Proposal' by Jonathan Swift. 'I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food.' It's a satirical and darkly humorous quote that uses extreme irony to comment on society's problems. Swift doesn't actually mean this literally but uses it to shock readers into thinking about the issues.
A memorable quote is 'It was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge.' from 'A Christmas Carol'. This shows the importance of truly embracing the Christmas spirit. Scrooge's transformation is centered around this idea of knowing how to make Christmas special.
One could be 'The Gift of the Magi' by O. Henry. It has several touching quotes that make you think about love and sacrifice.
Ralphie's internal monologue quote 'I had visions of angelic choirs and sugarplums dancing in my head.' This is a great quote as it really captures the magic and excitement that Ralphie feels about Christmas. It also references the traditional ideas of Christmas with the sugarplums and the angelic choirs, but in a very relatable way for a child.
One of the most memorable quotes is 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife' from 'Pride and Prejudice'. It sets the stage for the story's exploration of marriage and society. Another is 'All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others' from 'Animal Farm', which is a powerful comment on political corruption and inequality.
A quote from 'The Necklace' by Guy de Maupassant: 'She was one of those pretty and charming girls born, as though fate had blundered over her, into a family of artisans.' This line gives a sense of the main character's situation at the start. She has the beauty but not the social standing she desires.
One memorable quote is 'You can tell a true war story if it embarrasses you. If you don't care for obscenity, you don't care for the truth; if you don't care for the truth, watch how you vote. Send guys to war, they come home talking dirty.' This shows the rawness and honesty in war stories. Soldiers come back changed, and part of that change is in their language and the unfiltered way they tell their tales.
The quote 'He wasn't sure if he should be happy or sad' is quite memorable. It shows Stanley's confusion in the face of his situation at Camp Green Lake. He's in a strange place with strange rules and people, and this quote captures his internal conflict.
The quote 'Let us, in these things, be true to one another' is quite memorable. It speaks to the idea of honesty and loyalty among people, which was in contrast to the false values of the society depicted in the novel. It was a call for a more genuine human connection in a world full of pretense.
A great one is from 'Catch - 22' by Joseph Heller: 'There was only one catch and that was Catch - 22, which specified that a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions.' This complex statement is sarcastic about the absurdity of military bureaucracy.