--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One day after the exams, the teachers sat…" description: "\"“One day after the exams, the teachers sat at their desks correcting papers while the pupils read comics, played chess or cards or talked quietly in gr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d58/alasdair-gray-13383_books_one-day-after-the-exams-the-teachers-sat_464561.jpg" --- # One day after the exams, the teachers sat at their desks… ![“One day after the exams, the teachers sat at their desks correcting papers while the pupils read comics, played chess or cards or talked quietly in groups. Coulter at a desk in front of Thaw turned round and said, "What are ye reading?" Thaw showed a book of critical essays on art and literature…” quote by Alasdair Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d58/alasdair-gray-13383_books_one-day-after-the-exams-the-teachers-sat_464561.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d58/alasdair-gray-13383_books_one-day-after-the-exams-the-teachers-sat_464561.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d58/alasdair-gray-13383_books_one-day-after-the-exams-the-teachers-sat_464561.jpg) > ““One day after the exams, the teachers sat at their desks correcting papers while the pupils read comics, played chess or cards or talked quietly in groups. Coulter at a desk in front of Thaw turned round and said, "What are ye reading?" Thaw showed a book of critical essays on art and literature. Coulter said accusingly, "You don't read that for fun." "Yes, I read it for fun." "People our age don't read that sort of book for fun. They read it to show they're superior." "But I read this sort of book even when there's nobody around to see me." "That shows you arenae trying to make us think you're superior, you're trying to make yourself think you're superior.”” [Alasdair Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-gray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often read complex works to signal status, not for enjoyment, revealing insecurity and the desire for superiority. **In simple terms:** Reading for status shows insecurity. Key Takeaway Recognize genuine interest over image. Themes status insecurity intellectualism social dynamics Mood reflective critical Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - school - literary clubs - online forums - book clubs Key Concepts signaling self‑esteem cultural capital Questions to Reflect On - Why do we seek validation through reading? - How can we foster authentic literary appreciation? A Different Perspective Reading for status can alienate peers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art And Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-and-literature/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“If you have to travel,” Coulter said, “I can’t think of a better way than the Translocator.” “I know, I’m getting spoiled,” Warren replied.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-mull/if-you-have-to-travel-coulter-said-i-can-t-think-of-a-better-way-than/) [Brandon Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-mull/) > [I don't think anybody should read anything except for fun because you won't learn anything unless you enjoy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-gray/i-don-t-think-anybody-should-read-anything-except-for-fun-because-you/) [Alasdair Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-gray/) > [“I just read them for fun." "Dictionaries?" "Yes." "That doesn't sound like fun. That sounds awful." "Awful used to mean 'full of awe.' The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-barry/i-just-read-them-for-fun-dictionaries-yes-that-doesn-t-sound-like-fun/) [Max Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-barry/) > [I think that as is true in this industry, everything gets blown out of proportion because it's more fun for people to read about.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-chalke/i-think-that-as-is-true-in-this-industry-everything-gets-blown-out-of/) [Sarah Chalke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-chalke/) > [I've never thought that it made sense to put something out that I didn't actually find really fun to read. Or, if not "fun,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorin-stein/i-ve-never-thought-that-it-made-sense-to-put-something-out-that-i/) [Lorin Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorin-stein/) > [I've always had the notion that people go to spectator sports to have fun and then they grab the paper to read about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wellesley-smith/i-ve-always-had-the-notion-that-people-go-to-spectator-sports-to-have/) Walter Wellesley Smith > [I was lucky enough not to face any required summer reading lists until I went to college. So I still think of summer as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-haddix/i-was-lucky-enough-not-to-face-any-required-summer-reading-lists/) [Margaret Haddix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-haddix/) > [When I was little, I thought everyone in the world liked to read because it was so fun. But then I realised that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/when-i-was-little-i-thought-everyone-in-the-world-liked-to-read/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [“ysteries I read for fun, so I will probably never write one, for fear of spoiling the fun.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-saberhagen/ysteries-i-read-for-fun-so-i-will-probably-never-write-one-for-fear/) [Fred Saberhagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-saberhagen/) > [“I read for fun, deal with it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nanette-jimenez/i-read-for-fun-deal-with-it/) Nanette Jimenez > [“I read for fun and to escape the mundaneness that is reality, to get lost in make-believe worlds where good always triumphs over evil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-cope/i-read-for-fun-and-to-escape-the-mundaneness-that-is-reality-to-get/) Erica Cope > [Detective stories keep alive a view of the world which ought to be true. Of course people read them for fun ... But underneath…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/detective-stories-keep-alive-a-view-of-the-world-which-ought-to-be/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [The contemporary thing in art and literature is the thing which doesn't make enough difference to the people of that generation so that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/the-contemporary-thing-in-art-and-literature-is-the-thing-which-doesn/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [“When was the last time an American president found it worth his while to write a speech on the importance of art and literature?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viet-thanh-nguyen/when-was-the-last-time-an-american-president-found-it-worth-his-while/) [Viet Thanh Nguyen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viet-thanh-nguyen/) > [The study of history and philosophy, accompanied by some acquaintance with art and literature, should be for lawyers and engineers as well as for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/the-study-of-history-and-philosophy-accompanied-by-some-acquaintance/) [Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/) ## More by Alasdair Gray > [“At last she interrupted with a harsh rattle of laughter. "Oh, yes, I like this book! Crazy hopes of a glamorous, rich, colorful life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-gray/at-last-she-interrupted-with-a-harsh-rattle-of-laughter-oh-yes-i-like/) [Alasdair Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-gray/) > [“Only bad religions depend on mysteries, just as bad governments depend on secret police." A character's response to a discussion about eating from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-gray/only-bad-religions-depend-on-mysteries-just-as-bad-governments-depend/) [Alasdair Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-gray/) > [But I do enjoy words—some words for their own sake! Words like river, and dawn, and daylight, and time. These words seem much richer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-gray/but-i-do-enjoy-words-some-words-for-their-own-sake-words-like-river/) [Alasdair Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-gray/) > [“Lanark said irritably, "You seem to understand my questions, but your answers make no sense to me." "That's typical of life, isn't it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-gray/lanark-said-irritably-you-seem-to-understand-my-questions-but-your/) [Alasdair Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-gray/) > [Are there many people without illness or disability who sit at home in the evening with clenched fists, continually changing the channel of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-gray/are-there-many-people-without-illness-or-disability-who-sit-at-home/) [Alasdair Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-gray/) > [“The world sometimes seems a chessboard where the pieces move themselves. I'm never sure what square to go to. Yet it can't be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-gray/the-world-sometimes-seems-a-chessboard-where-the-pieces-move/) [Alasdair Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-gray/) > [A good poem is a tautology. It expands one word by adding a number which clarify it, thus making a new word which has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-gray/a-good-poem-is-a-tautology-it-expands-one-word-by-adding-a-number/) [Alasdair Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-gray/) > [“But leaders need to be mostly dead. People want solid monuments to cling to, not confused men like themselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-gray/but-leaders-need-to-be-mostly-dead-people-want-solid-monuments-to/) [Alasdair Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-gray/) > [Think of Florence, Paris, London, New York. Nobody visiting them for the first time is a stranger because he's already visited them in paintings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-gray/think-of-florence-paris-london-new-york-nobody-visiting-them-for-the/) [Alasdair Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-gray/) > [I distrust speech therapy. Words are the language of lies and evasions. Music cannot lie. Music talks to the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-gray/i-distrust-speech-therapy-words-are-the-language-of-lies-and-evasions/) [Alasdair Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-gray/) > [Movement turns dead dogs into maggots and daisies, and flour butter sugar an egg and a tablespoon of milk into Abernethy biscuits, and spermatozoa…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-gray/movement-turns-dead-dogs-into-maggots-and-daisies-and-flour-butter/) [Alasdair Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-gray/) > [“He watched them with the passionate regret with which he saw them play football or go to dances: the activity itself did not interest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-gray/he-watched-them-with-the-passionate-regret-with-which-he-saw-them/) [Alasdair Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-gray/) > [“It is, but we can only help people by giving less than we take away from them. We enlarge the oasis by increasing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-gray/it-is-but-we-can-only-help-people-by-giving-less-than-we-take-away/) [Alasdair Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-gray/) > [“She is the swelling sail, trim rigging and bust sunlit deck of our matrimonial yacht. I am the low hull, with the invisible ballast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-gray/she-is-the-swelling-sail-trim-rigging-and-bust-sunlit-deck-of-our/) [Alasdair Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-gray/) > [“Only bad religions depend on mysteries, just as bad governments depend on secret police. Truth, beauty and goodness are not mysterious, they are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-gray/only-bad-religions-depend-on-mysteries-just-as-bad-governments-depend-2/) [Alasdair Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-gray/) [Explore all 47 Alasdair Gray quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-gray/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. 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Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“One day after the exams, the teachers sat at their desks correcting papers while the pupils read comics, played chess or cards or talked quietly in groups. Coulter at a desk in front of Thaw turned round and said, \"What are ye reading?\" Thaw showed a book of critical essays on art and literature. Coulter said accusingly, \"You don't read that for fun.\" \"Yes, I read it for fun.\" \"People our age don't read that sort of book for fun. 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