England Quote by Charles Dickens
““As I followed the chief waiter with my eyes, I could not help thinking that the garden in which he had gradually blown to be the flower he was, was an arduous place to rise in. It had such a prescriptive, stiff-necked, long-established, solemn, elderly air. I glanced about the room, which had had its sanded floor sanded, no doubt, in exactly the same manner when the chief waiter was a boy - if he ever was a boy, which appeared improbable; and at the shining tables, where I saw myself reflected, in unruffled depths of old mahogany; and at the lamps, without a flaw in their trimming or cleaning; and at the comfortable green curtains, with their pure brass rods, snugly enclosing the boxes; and at the two large coal fires, brightly burning; and at the rows of decanters, burly as if with the consciousness of pipes of expensive old port wine below; and both England and the law appeared to me to be very difficult indeed to be taken by storm.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Great Expectations, Charles Dickens, 1861
The narrator observes the rigid, tradition‑bound environment of England and its legal system as oppressive and difficult to change.
In simple terms: England and law seem old, stiff, and hard to reform.
Recognize the weight of tradition when seeking change.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- legal reform
- social activism
- personal growth
- challenging norms
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can one navigate or transform rigid institutions?
- What role does tradition play in personal identity?
Change may be resisted by entrenched customs and power.