Awakening Quote by Conrad Richter
““The Awakening Land" p614 But what in God's name did folks today want to make the whole world over like they were for? In her time in the woods, everybody she knew was egged on to be his own special self. He could live and think like he wanted to and no two humans you met up with were alike. Each had his own particular beliefs and his reasons for owning to them. Folks were a joy to talk to then, for all were different. Even the simple-minded were original in their own notions. They either mad you laugh or gave you pause. But folks in Americus today seemed mighty tiresome and getting more so. If you saw one, you saw most. If you heard one talk, it's likely you heard the rest. They were creacked on living like everybody else, according to the fashion, and if you were so queer and outlandish as to go your own way and do what you liked, it bothered their 'narve strings' so they were liable to lock you up in one of their newfangled asylums or take you home where they could hold you down to their way of doing...””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Awakening Land, p. 614
Critiquing conformity in modern society, contrasting it with past individuality and the suppression of uniqueness.
In simple terms: Society pressures conformity over individuality.
Resist conformity, value uniqueness.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- modern community life
- personal expression
- creative work
- education
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we foster individuality today?
- What are the risks of nonconformity?
May romanticize past without acknowledging its own flaws.