--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He turned him about in the light from the…" description: "\"“He turned him about in the light from the window. What are you wearing? he said. Harrogate shuffled and flapped his arms. Aw, he said. Just some old c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f94/cormac-mccarthy-181_old-clothes_he-turned-him-about-in-the-light-from-th_122321.jpg" --- # He turned him about in the light from the window. What are… ![“He turned him about in the light from the window. What are you wearing? he said. Harrogate shuffled and flapped his arms. Aw, he said. Just some old clothes. Did they rig you out in these at the workhouse? Yeah. They lost my clothes what they give me at the hospital. I dont look funny do I? No…” quote by Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f94/cormac-mccarthy-181_old-clothes_he-turned-him-about-in-the-light-from-th_122321.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f94/cormac-mccarthy-181_old-clothes_he-turned-him-about-in-the-light-from-th_122321.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f94/cormac-mccarthy-181_old-clothes_he-turned-him-about-in-the-light-from-th_122321.jpg) > ““He turned him about in the light from the window. What are you wearing? he said. Harrogate shuffled and flapped his arms. Aw, he said. Just some old clothes. Did they rig you out in these at the workhouse? Yeah. They lost my clothes what they give me at the hospital. I dont look funny do I? No. You look crazy. He pulled at Harrogate. What is this? Harrogate held his arms aloft. I dont know, he said. Suttree was turning him around. Good God, he said. The shirt was fashioned from an enormous pair of striped drawers, his neck stuck through the ripped seam of the crotch, his arms hanging from the capacious legholes like sticks. What size do you wear? What size what? Anything. Shirt to start with. I take a small. A small. Yeah. Take that damn thing off.”” [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A grotesque scene exposing poverty and humiliation, where clothing becomes a symbol of dignity stripped away by institutional neglect. **In simple terms:** Poverty reduces people to absurd, dehumanizing displays. Key Takeaway Poverty erodes personal dignity. Themes poverty humiliation social neglect identity body image Mood somber disquieted Type narrative social critique When to use this quote - homeless shelter intake - prison clothing checks - hospital discharge procedures Key Concepts social stratification institutional failure Practical Applications - advocate for humane clothing policies - design dignified emergency garments Questions to Reflect On - How does clothing shape our sense of self? - What responsibilities do institutions have to preserve dignity? A Different Perspective The vividness may exaggerate for artistic effect, not reflecting typical institutional practice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clothes Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clothes-did-1422957/) [Clothes Hospital](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clothes-hospital-1422954/) [Lost Clothes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost-clothes-1422955/) [Old clothes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-clothes/) [Said Harrogate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-harrogate-1422956/) [Said Shirt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-shirt-539252/) ## Related quotes > [“If we lost everything except for the clothes we stood up in, would we turn to each other and think…How lucky we really were?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-kennedy/if-we-lost-everything-except-for-the-clothes-we-stood-up-in-would-we/) [Jacqueline Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-kennedy/) > [“I close my eyes and he smells like him. His arms are his. Everything is normal, except I’m wearing clothes and he’s in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-evans/i-close-my-eyes-and-he-smells-like-him-his-arms-are-his-everything-is/) [Katy Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-evans/) > [You're amazing, and I so want to be your boyfriend, because of what you just said, and also because that shirt makes me want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/you-re-amazing-and-i-so-want-to-be-your-boyfriend-because-of-what-you/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I asked him did he really love New York or was he just wearing the shirt. He smiled, like he was nervous. I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-asked-him-did-he-really-love-new-york-or-was-he-just-wearing-the/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [You look ridiculous,” Wren said. “What?” “That shirt.” It was a Hello Kitty shirt from eighth or ninth grade. Hello Kitty dressed as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/you-look-ridiculous-wren-said-what-that-shirt-it-was-a-hello-kitty/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“Only hours earlier, my da had come in from his job at the bar and changed his clothes, as he always did after work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-baker-kline/only-hours-earlier-my-da-had-come-in-from-his-job-at-the-bar-and-2/) [Christina Baker Kline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-baker-kline/) > [“Only hours earlier, my da had come in from his job at the bar and changed his clothes, as he always did after work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-baker-kline/only-hours-earlier-my-da-had-come-in-from-his-job-at-the-bar-and/) [Christina Baker Kline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-baker-kline/) > [I did make a lot of my own clothes. I used to love to sew, so I made my own shirts and bell bottoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissie-hynde/i-did-make-a-lot-of-my-own-clothes-i-used-to-love-to-sew-so-i-made-my/) [Chrissie Hynde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissie-hynde/) > [I don't spend much money on clothes; I never did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-hutton/i-don-t-spend-much-money-on-clothes-i-never-did/) [Lauren Hutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-hutton/) > [There was a loneliness because kids my age had video games, tennis. They traveled. They had beautiful clothes. I was wearing my sisters' old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riccardo-tisci/there-was-a-loneliness-because-kids-my-age-had-video-games-tennis/) [Riccardo Tisci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riccardo-tisci/) > [“Things I Used to Get Hit For: Talking back. Being smart. Acting stupid. Not listening. Not answering the first time. Not doing what I’m…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-thurber/things-i-used-to-get-hit-for-talking-back-being-smart-acting-stupid/) [Bob Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-thurber/) > [Lots of people think they're charitable if they give away their old clothes and things they don't want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-reed/lots-of-people-think-they-re-charitable-if-they-give-away-their-old/) [Myrtle Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-reed/) > [We're starting to feel We stayed together out of fear Of dying alone I've been slipping through the years my old clothes don't fit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/she-s-gone/we-re-starting-to-feel-we-stayed-together-out-of-fear-of-dying-alone/) [she's\_gone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/she-s-gone/) > [Who ever saw his old clothes, - his old coat, actually worn out, resolved into its primitive elements, so that it was not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/who-ever-saw-his-old-clothes-his-old-coat-actually-worn-out-resolved/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“The Citizen's attic was, objectively, breathtaking. The place was littered with trunks and old clothes and wardrobes and pieces of furniture and strange metal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-genevieve-tucholke/the-citizen-s-attic-was-objectively-breathtaking-the-place-was/) [April Genevieve Tucholke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-genevieve-tucholke/) ## More by Cormac McCarthy > [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“The events of the world can have no separate life from the world. And yet the world itself can have no temporal view of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-events-of-the-world-can-have-no-separate-life-from-the-world-and/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“I had two dreams about him after he died. I dont remember the first one all that well but it was about meetin him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/i-had-two-dreams-about-him-after-he-died-i-dont-remember-the-first/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“You think people was meaner then than they are now? the deputy said. The old man was looking out at the flooded town. No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/you-think-people-was-meaner-then-than-they-are-now-the-deputy-said/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“They set forth in a crimson dawn where sky and earth closed in a razorous plane. Out there dark little archipelagos of cloud and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/they-set-forth-in-a-crimson-dawn-where-sky-and-earth-closed-in-a/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Nothing. Where all was burnt to ash before them no fires were to be had and the nights were long and dark and cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/nothing-where-all-was-burnt-to-ash-before-them-no-fires-were-to-be/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [He said that whether a man's life was writ in a book someplace or whether it took its form day by day was one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/he-said-that-whether-a-man-s-life-was-writ-in-a-book-someplace-or/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“He lives in a room above a courtyard behind a tavern and he comes down at night like some fairybook beast to fight with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/he-lives-in-a-room-above-a-courtyard-behind-a-tavern-and-he-comes/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Ultimo hombre. Last man standing, must've been one. Where'd he go?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/ultimo-hombre-last-man-standing-must-ve-been-one-where-d-he-go/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“To seek out the upright. No fall but preceded by a declination. He took great marching steps into the nothingness, counting them against his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/to-seek-out-the-upright-no-fall-but-preceded-by-a-declination-he-took/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“They went through the last of the cars and then walked up the track to the locomotive and climbed up to the catwalk. Rust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/they-went-through-the-last-of-the-cars-and-then-walked-up-the-track/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Night fell upon them dark and starblown and the wagon grew swollen near mute with dew. On their chairs in such black immobility these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/night-fell-upon-them-dark-and-starblown-and-the-wagon-grew-swollen/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“When I was in school I studied biology. I learned that in making their experiments scientists will take some group - bacteria, mice, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/when-i-was-in-school-i-studied-biology-i-learned-that-in-making-their/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [ “We none of us knew him to speak \[Dutch\]. Asked him where he'd learned it you know what he said? What did he say.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/we-none-of-us-knew-him-to-speak-dutch-asked-him-where-he-d-learned-it/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“You know that the things you put it your head stay there, right?' 'Yeah. But you remember some things, don't you?' 'Yeah. You remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/you-know-that-the-things-you-put-it-your-head-stay-there-right-yeah/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) [Explore all 927 Cormac McCarthy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) ## More Old clothes quotes > [“The Citizen's attic was, objectively, breathtaking. The place was littered with trunks and old clothes and wardrobes and pieces of furniture and strange metal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-genevieve-tucholke/the-citizen-s-attic-was-objectively-breathtaking-the-place-was/) [April Genevieve Tucholke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-genevieve-tucholke/) > [Who ever saw his old clothes, - his old coat, actually worn out, resolved into its primitive elements, so that it was not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/who-ever-saw-his-old-clothes-his-old-coat-actually-worn-out-resolved/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [We're starting to feel We stayed together out of fear Of dying alone I've been slipping through the years my old clothes don't fit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/she-s-gone/we-re-starting-to-feel-we-stayed-together-out-of-fear-of-dying-alone/) [she's\_gone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/she-s-gone/) > [Lots of people think they're charitable if they give away their old clothes and things they don't want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-reed/lots-of-people-think-they-re-charitable-if-they-give-away-their-old/) [Myrtle Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-reed/) > [“Things I Used to Get Hit For: Talking back. Being smart. Acting stupid. Not listening. Not answering the first time. Not doing what I’m…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-thurber/things-i-used-to-get-hit-for-talking-back-being-smart-acting-stupid/) [Bob Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-thurber/) > [There was a loneliness because kids my age had video games, tennis. They traveled. They had beautiful clothes. I was wearing my sisters' old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riccardo-tisci/there-was-a-loneliness-because-kids-my-age-had-video-games-tennis/) [Riccardo Tisci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riccardo-tisci/) > [Rich kids gave us their old clothes. They were the best clothes we ever had. We were these very pure, naive, poor children. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/river-phoenix/rich-kids-gave-us-their-old-clothes-they-were-the-best-clothes-we/) [River Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/river-phoenix/) > [I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhoni-czhang/i-know-my-older-sister-loves-me-because-she-gives-me-all-her-old/) [JHONI (Czhang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhoni-czhang/) > [I love all things crafty. I love to make jewelry. I love to cut up old clothes and turn them into something new. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-varner/i-love-all-things-crafty-i-love-to-make-jewelry-i-love-to-cut-up-old/) [Elle Varner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-varner/) > [Sorrows are the rags of old clothes and jackets that serve to cover, and then are taken off. That undressing, and the beautiful naked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/sorrows-are-the-rags-of-old-clothes-and-jackets-that-serve-to-cover/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [I have a face that is a cross between two pounds of halibut and an explosion in an old clothes closet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-niven/i-have-a-face-that-is-a-cross-between-two-pounds-of-halibut-and-an/) [David Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-niven/) > [The best way to garden is to put on a wide-brimmed straw hat and some old clothes. And with a hoe in one hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/texas-bix-bender/the-best-way-to-garden-is-to-put-on-a-wide-brimmed-straw-hat-and-some/) [Texas Bix Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/texas-bix-bender/) > [“He is wearing an old overcoat from the Salvation Army in Easton, Pennsylvania. It cost five bucks ten years ago, Louise remembers. Henry is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-thomas/he-is-wearing-an-old-overcoat-from-the-salvation-army-in-easton/) [Abigail Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-thomas/) > [“I had heard the same carols all my life, seen the same little play, with the same mistakes in grammar. The minister had offered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-j-gaines/i-had-heard-the-same-carols-all-my-life-seen-the-same-little-play/) [Ernest J. Gaines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-j-gaines/) > [No wreaths please - especially no hothouse flowers. Some common memento is better, something he prized and is known by: his old clothes -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-carlos-williams/no-wreaths-please-especially-no-hothouse-flowers-some-common-memento/) [William Carlos Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-carlos-williams/) [Browse all 66 Old clothes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-clothes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He turned him about in the light from the window. What are you wearing? he said. Harrogate shuffled and flapped his arms. Aw, he said. Just some old clothes. Did they rig you out in these at the workhouse? Yeah. They lost my clothes what they give me at the hospital. I dont look funny do I? No. You look crazy. He pulled at Harrogate. What is this? Harrogate held his arms aloft. I dont know, he said. Suttree was turning him around. Good God, he said. The shirt was fashioned from an enormous pair of striped drawers, his neck stuck through the ripped seam of the crotch, his arms hanging from the capacious legholes like sticks. What size do you wear? What size what? Anything. Shirt to start with. I take a small. A small. Yeah. 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