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Character-description Quote by Charles Dickens

“Show Pleasant Riderhood a Wedding in the street, and she only saw two people taking out a regular license to quarrel and fight. Show her a Christening, and she saw a little heathen personage having a quite superfluous name bestowed upon it, inasmuch as it would be commonly addressed by some…” quote by Charles Dickens
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““Show Pleasant Riderhood a Wedding in the street, and she only saw two people taking out a regular license to quarrel and fight. Show her a Christening, and she saw a little heathen personage having a quite superfluous name bestowed upon it, inasmuch as it would be commonly addressed by some abusive epithet; which little personage was not in the least wanted by anybody, and would be shoved and banged out of everybody's way, until it should grow big enough to shove and bang. Show her a Funeral, and she saw an unremunerative ceremony in the nature of a black masquerade, conferring a temporary gentility on the performers, at an immense expense, and representing the only formal party ever given by the deceased. Show her a live father, and she saw but a duplicate of her own father, who from her infancy had been taken with fits and starts of discharging his duty to her, which duty was always incorporated in the form of a fist or a leathern strap, and being discharged hurt her. All things considered, therefore, Pleasant Riderhood was not so very, very bad.””

Charles Dickens

About This Quote

Source Book: The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens, 1836

Pleasant Riderhood sees social rituals as superficial performances that mask underlying hardship and exploitation.

In simple terms: She views ceremonies as empty shows that hide pain.

Key Takeaway

Question the true value of rituals.

Themes

society ritual hypocrisy

Mood

reflective critical

Type

analytical observational

When to use this quote

  • weddings
  • christenings
  • funerals
  • family dynamics

Key Concepts

social critique illusion exploitation

Questions to Reflect On

  • Do ceremonies ever truly honor participants?
  • How do we balance tradition with authenticity?
A Different Perspective

Rituals can provide genuine comfort despite their flaws.

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