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We don't like to talk about that in America, but there are…

“We don't like to talk about that in America, but there are classes in America. And she [Julia Child] was of a class of women who were wealthy, privately educated, went to Smith, moved in that sort of circle. She was conscripted into the OSS, which is the early CIA, which was all filled with Yalies…” quote by Meryl Streep
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“We don't like to talk about that in America, but there are classes in America. And she [Julia Child] was of a class of women who were wealthy, privately educated, went to Smith, moved in that sort of circle. She was conscripted into the OSS, which is the early CIA, which was all filled with Yalies and Princeton and Harvard people and a few women who were typing mostly but also had something to do.”

Meryl Streep

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Julia Child came from a privileged, educated background and served in the early CIA, highlighting class and gender dynamics in mid‑century America.

In simple terms: Child's elite background and OSS work show class and gender influences.

Key Takeaway

Recognize how class and gender affect opportunities.

Themes

class gender history career privilege

Mood

analytical reflective

Type

historical educational

When to use this quote

  • career counseling
  • historical research
  • media analysis
  • social policy

Key Concepts

social mobility military intelligence women's history

Questions to Reflect On

  • How did class privilege shape women's roles in the 1940s?
  • What can we learn about gender and class today?
A Different Perspective

Focuses on elite experiences, may ignore broader struggles.

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