To tell you the truth, I don't much wish anything, except…
““To tell you the truth, I don't much wish anything, except to get out of this cursed country again." "Don't say that, Brotherton. You are an Englishman." "I am ashamed to say I am. I wish with all my heart that I had been born a Chinese or a Red Indian." This he said, not in furtherance of any peculiar cosmopolitan proclivities, but because the saying of it would vex his mother. "What am I to think of the country, when the moment I get here I am hounded by all my own family because I choose to live after my own fashion and not after theirs?””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The narrator expresses deep dissatisfaction with his homeland and wishes to be born elsewhere, highlighting personal alienation and cultural identity conflict.
In simple terms: He feels out of place in his own country.
Key Takeaway
Seek belonging or understand your roots.
Themes
identity
alienation
culture
discontent
Mood
melancholic
reflective
Type
literary
personal
When to use this quote
- personal crisis
- immigration decision
- family conflict
Key Concepts
nationalism
self‑identity
exile
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do you feel disconnected from your culture?
- What could make you feel more at home?
A Different Perspective
The desire to escape may overlook opportunities for change at home.