That was the old Ellen Gulden, the girl who would walk…
““That was the old Ellen Gulden, the girl who would walk over her mother in golf shoes, who scared students away from writing seminars, who started work on Monday after graduating from Harvard with honors on a Thursday, who loved the moments in the office when she would look out at the impenetrable black of the East River, starred with the reflected lights of Queens, with only the cleaning crew for company, and think of her various superiors out at dinner parties and restaurants and her various similars out at downtown clubs or cheap but authentic places in Chinatown and say to herself, 'I'm getting ahead.' That Ellen Gulden, the one her boss suspected of using the dying-mother ploy to get more money or a better job title, would have covered every inch of [this datebook] with the frantic scribble of unexamined ambition.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A portrait of a driven, ambitious woman whose relentless pursuit of success blinds her to deeper values.
In simple terms: Ambition can dominate life.
Key Takeaway
Balance ambition with reflection.
Themes
ambition
career
urban life
gender dynamics
Mood
introspective
critical
Type
narrative
character study
When to use this quote
- career advancement
- networking events
- late‑night office work
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
self‑actualization
social pressure
identity
workplace dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- What does success truly mean to you?
- How can you pursue goals without sacrificing self?
A Different Perspective
Ambition may lead to burnout and loss of authenticity.