--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She supposed the young colored men of…" description: "\"“She supposed the young colored men of Link's generation couldn't have manners like Mr. Powther's, though she didn't know why. Wars and atom bombs and ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/ann-petry-26049_african-americans_she-supposed-the-young-colored-men-of-li_1233384.jpg" --- # She supposed the young colored men of Link's generation… ![“She supposed the young colored men of Link's generation couldn't have manners like Mr. Powther's, though she didn't know why. Wars and atom bombs and the fact that there was so much hate in the world might have something to do with it. There were times when she had thought that rudeness was a…” quote by Ann Petry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/ann-petry-26049_african-americans_she-supposed-the-young-colored-men-of-li_1233384.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/ann-petry-26049_african-americans_she-supposed-the-young-colored-men-of-li_1233384.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/ann-petry-26049_african-americans_she-supposed-the-young-colored-men-of-li_1233384.jpg) > ““She supposed the young colored men of Link's generation couldn't have manners like Mr. Powther's, though she didn't know why. Wars and atom bombs and the fact that there was so much hate in the world might have something to do with it. There were times when she had thought that rudeness was a characteristic of Link's; that other young men had a natural courtesy he would never have. Then she would see or hear something in The Narrows that suggested all these young men were alike--something had brutalized them. But what?”” [Ann Petry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-petry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She reflects on how societal violence and hatred may corrupt youth, questioning why some men lack courtesy despite expectations. **In simple terms:** Violence and hate can erode manners in youth. Key Takeaway Recognize societal influences on behavior. Themes social decay youth war prejudice Mood critical empathetic Type literary social commentary When to use this quote - urban neighborhoods - post‑war societies - educational settings - community programs Key Concepts environmental impact psychology cultural trauma Questions to Reflect On - How does environment shape personal conduct? - Can empathy counteract societal brutality? A Different Perspective Complex causes make it hard to assign blame to individuals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [African americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/african-americans/) [Atom bomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atom-bomb/) [Black-men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-men/) [Blacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blacks/) [Courtesy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courtesy/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Manners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manners/) [Rudeness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rudeness/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapons/) [Young men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-men/) ## Related quotes > [ “\[...\] Aglionby boys, who often thought rudeness was a louder sort of flirting.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/aglionby-boys-who-often-thought-rudeness-was-a-louder-sort-of-flirting/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [“She's scared, he thought. 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Different factors and barriers, including mental ones, get in the way of self-care. Even when armed with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jor-el-caraballo/self-care-is-not-a-perfect-journey-different-factors-and-barriers/) [Jor-El Caraballo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jor-el-caraballo/) > [“Black men are also notorious for posing as cool and above-it-all instead of expressing joy and happiness. This is one of the masks that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jor-el-caraballo/black-men-are-also-notorious-for-posing-as-cool-and-above-it-all/) [Jor-El Caraballo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jor-el-caraballo/) ## More by Ann Petry > [“Sometimes I look at my own movies”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-petry/sometimes-i-look-at-my-own-movies/) [Ann Petry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-petry/) > [A man hasn't got a corner on virtue just because his shoes are shined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-petry/a-man-hasn-t-got-a-corner-on-virtue-just-because-his-shoes-are-shined/) [Ann Petry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-petry/) > [“This was, by comparison, a safe, secure, clean world. 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They differs a lot. Some can stand things that others can't. There's never no way of knowin' how much they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-petry/folks-differs-dearie-they-differs-a-lot-some-can-stand-things-that/) [Ann Petry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-petry/) > [Everything you ever had, everything you ever lost. It's all there in the trumpet--pain and hate and trouble and peace and quiet and love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-petry/everything-you-ever-had-everything-you-ever-lost-it-s-all-there-in/) [Ann Petry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-petry/) > [“The women work because the white folks give them jobs—washing dishes and clothes and floors and windows. 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