--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Commencez!' cried I, when they had all…" description: "\"“Commencez!' cried I, when they had all produced their books. The moon-faced youth (by name of Jules Vanderkelkov, as I afterwards learned) took the fi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25e/charlotte-bronte-144_books_commencez-cried-i-when-they-had-all-prod_1620941.jpg" --- # Commencez!' cried I, when they had all produced their… ![“Commencez!' cried I, when they had all produced their books. The moon-faced youth (by name of Jules Vanderkelkov, as I afterwards learned) took the first sentence. The 'livre de lecteur' was 'The Vicar of Wakefield', much used in foreign schools, because it is supposed to contain prime samples of…” quote by Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25e/charlotte-bronte-144_books_commencez-cried-i-when-they-had-all-prod_1620941.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25e/charlotte-bronte-144_books_commencez-cried-i-when-they-had-all-prod_1620941.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25e/charlotte-bronte-144_books_commencez-cried-i-when-they-had-all-prod_1620941.jpg) > ““Commencez!' cried I, when they had all produced their books. The moon-faced youth (by name of Jules Vanderkelkov, as I afterwards learned) took the first sentence. The 'livre de lecteur' was 'The Vicar of Wakefield', much used in foreign schools, because it is supposed to contain prime samples of conversational English. It might, however, have been a Runic scroll for any resemblance the worse, as enunciated by Jules, bore to the language in ordinary use amongst the natives of Great Britain. My God! how he did snuffle, snort, and wheeze! All he said was said in his throat and nose, for it is thus the Flamands speak; but I heard him to the end of his paragraph without proffering a word of correction, whereat he looked vastly self-complacent, convinced, no doubt, that he had acquitted himself like a real born and bred 'Anglais'. In the same unmoved silence I listened to a dozen in rotation; and when the twelfth had concluded with splutter, hiss, and mumble, I solemnly laid down the book. 'Arrêtez!', said I. There was a pause, during which I regarded them all with a steady and somewhat stern gaze. A dog, if stared at hard enough and long enough, will show symptoms of embarrassment, and so at length did my bench of Belgians. Perceiving that some of the faces before me were beginning to look sullen, and others ashamed, I slowly joined my hands, and ejaculated in a deep 'voix de poitrine' - 'Comme c'est affreux!' They looked at each other, pouted, coloured, swung their heels, they were not pleased, I saw, but they were impressed, and in the way I wished them to be. Having thus taken them down a peg in their self-conceit, the next step was to raise myself in their estimation - not a very easy thing, considering that I hardly dared to speak for fear of betraying my own deficiencies. 'Ecoutez, messieurs!' I said, and I endeavoured to throw into my accents the compassionate tone of a superior being, who, touched by the extremity of the helplessness which at first only excited his scorn, deigns at length to bestow aid. I then began at the very beginning of 'The Vicar of Wakefield,' and read, in a slow, distinct voice, some twenty pages, they all the while sitting mute and listening with fixed attention. By the time I had done nearly an hour had elapsed. I then rose and said, - 'C'est assez pour aujourd'hui, messieurs; demain nous recommençerons, et j'espère que tout ira bien.' With this oracular sentence I bowed, and in company with M. Pelet quitted the schoolroom.”” [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A narrator mocks a group’s poor English, using sarcasm to humble them and then seeks their respect through earnest appeal. **In simple terms:** Mocking poor language, then trying to earn respect. Key Takeaway Use humor to expose flaws, then appeal sincerely. Themes humor pride humility social dynamics Mood irritated reflective determined Type narrative didactic satirical When to use this quote - classroom language practice - public speaking - cross‑cultural interaction - team meetings - teaching foreign languages Key Concepts sarcasm self‑deprecation authority communication Questions to Reflect On - How does mockery affect group morale? - When is sincere appeal more effective than sarcasm? A Different Perspective The satire may reinforce stereotypes about language competence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [English](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Next step](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-step/) ## Related quotes > [“Every professor worth his PhD should have a fireplace in his study.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/every-professor-worth-his-phd-should-have-a-fireplace-in-his-study/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“The Professor is coming...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-professor-is-coming/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Consider him in his highest incarnation: the university professor. What is his function? 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It might, however, have been a Runic scroll for any resemblance the worse, as enunciated by Jules, bore to the language in ordinary use amongst the natives of Great Britain. My God! how he did snuffle, snort, and wheeze! All he said was said in his throat and nose, for it is thus the Flamands speak; but I heard him to the end of his paragraph without proffering a word of correction, whereat he looked vastly self-complacent, convinced, no doubt, that he had acquitted himself like a real born and bred 'Anglais'. In the same unmoved silence I listened to a dozen in rotation; and when the twelfth had concluded with splutter, hiss, and mumble, I solemnly laid down the book. 'Arrêtez!', said I. There was a pause, during which I regarded them all with a steady and somewhat stern gaze. A dog, if stared at hard enough and long enough, will show symptoms of embarrassment, and so at length did my bench of Belgians. Perceiving that some of the faces before me were beginning to look sullen, and others ashamed, I slowly joined my hands, and ejaculated in a deep 'voix de poitrine' - 'Comme c'est affreux!' They looked at each other, pouted, coloured, swung their heels, they were not pleased, I saw, but they were impressed, and in the way I wished them to be. Having thus taken them down a peg in their self-conceit, the next step was to raise myself in their estimation - not a very easy thing, considering that I hardly dared to speak for fear of betraying my own deficiencies. 'Ecoutez, messieurs!' I said, and I endeavoured to throw into my accents the compassionate tone of a superior being, who, touched by the extremity of the helplessness which at first only excited his scorn, deigns at length to bestow aid. I then began at the very beginning of 'The Vicar of Wakefield,' and read, in a slow, distinct voice, some twenty pages, they all the while sitting mute and listening with fixed attention. By the time I had done nearly an hour had elapsed. I then rose and said, - 'C'est assez pour aujourd'hui, messieurs; demain nous recommençerons, et j'espère que tout ira bien.' With this oracular sentence I bowed, and in company with M. Pelet quitted the schoolroom.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charlotte Brontë" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/commencez-cried-i-when-they-had-all-produced-their-books-the-moon/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/commencez-cried-i-when-they-had-all-produced-their-books-the-moon/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25e/charlotte-bronte-144_books_commencez-cried-i-when-they-had-all-prod_1620941.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25e/charlotte-bronte-144_books_commencez-cried-i-when-they-had-all-prod_1620941.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25e/charlotte-bronte-144_books_commencez-cried-i-when-they-had-all-prod_1620941.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Commencez!' cried I, when they had all produced their books. 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