---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I grew up in a very working-class family…"
description: "\"I grew up in a very working-class family and also a very fundamentalist Christian family. So, we didn't have access to the arts in the house in any for..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/craig-thompson-13868_access_i-grew-up-in-a-very-working-class-family_1762813.png"
---

#  I grew up in a very working-class family and also a very…

![“I grew up in a very working-class family and also a very fundamentalist Christian family. So, we didn't have access to the arts in the house in any form other than the Sunday funnies.” quote by Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/craig-thompson-13868_access_i-grew-up-in-a-very-working-class-family_1762813.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/craig-thompson-13868_access_i-grew-up-in-a-very-working-class-family_1762813.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/craig-thompson-13868_access_i-grew-up-in-a-very-working-class-family_1762813.png)

> “I grew up in a very working-class family and also a very fundamentalist Christian family. So, we didn't have access to the arts in the house in any form other than the Sunday funnies.”

[Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Growing up in a restrictive, working‑class, religious home limited exposure to artistic culture.

**In simple terms:** A modest, fundamentalist upbringing blocked access to the arts.

Key Takeaway

Seek artistic experiences beyond early constraints.

Themes

family background class religion art access culture

Mood

reflective hopeful

Type

narrative inspirational

When to use this quote

- museum visits
- community art classes
- online tutorials
- reading graphic novels

Key Concepts

social mobility cultural capital creative yearning

Questions to Reflect On

- How did your early environment shape your creative voice?
- What avenues can you create for others in similar situations?

A Different Perspective

Family expectations may still influence choices.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Access](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access/) [Arts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arts/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Christian family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-family/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Fundamentalist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentalist/) [Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sunday/) [Working class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-class/)

## Related quotes

> [I had a student some years ago whose father had worked on the Manhattan Project. I had a student who had to escape this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-waldman/i-had-a-student-some-years-ago-whose-father-had-worked-on-the/)

[Anne Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-waldman/)

> [It's beginning to feel like there is no room in America for anyone who is not a fundamentalist Christian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-white/it-s-beginning-to-feel-like-there-is-no-room-in-america-for-anyone/)

[Mel White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-white/)

> [The belief in eternal torment, still subscribed to by fundamentalist Christian denominations, undoubtedly ranks as the most vicious and reprehensible doctrine of classical Christianity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-smith/the-belief-in-eternal-torment-still-subscribed-to-by-fundamentalist/)

[George H. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-smith/)

> [You never run into a fundamentalist Christian as intolerant of - take anything, you know, homosexuality as a liberal who has just found a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/you-never-run-into-a-fundamentalist-christian-as-intolerant-of-take/)

[Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/)

> [I was raised fundamentalist Christian, and now I'm not that. It was not an act of rebellion or anything. For me, it was about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/i-was-raised-fundamentalist-christian-and-now-i-m-not-that-it-was-not/)

[Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/)

> [“Bernadette never went to Mass; she was a fundamentalist Christian. Mother often said she only used religion as a framework for her craziness. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donal-ryan/bernadette-never-went-to-mass-she-was-a-fundamentalist-christian/)

[Donal Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donal-ryan/)

> [In the eyes of the Associated Press, American Christianity, which springs from the Protestant Reformation, is fundamentalist. And Christian Fundamentalists, radical Muslims, Hindu extremists,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/in-the-eyes-of-the-associated-press-american-christianity-which/)

[Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/)

> [You don't have to be a Fundamentalist Christian to be interested in the Bible. It's really a fascinating mythology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-crumb/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-fundamentalist-christian-to-be-interested-in/)

[Robert Crumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-crumb/)

> [I went to a fundamentalist Christian high school and went to a fundamentalist church, and they were the greatest people; there was an amazing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-derrickson/i-went-to-a-fundamentalist-christian-high-school-and-went-to-a/)

[Scott Derrickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-derrickson/)

> [Creating fear and loathing of gay and lesbian Americans has proven, year after year, to be the most effective say for Dobson and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-white/creating-fear-and-loathing-of-gay-and-lesbian-americans-has-proven/)

[Mel White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-white/)

> [“Explaining evolution to a fundamentalist Christian is like trying to explain Calculus to someone with absolutely no grasp of Maths.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-b-lockhart/explaining-evolution-to-a-fundamentalist-christian-is-like-trying-to/)

[Peter B. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-b-lockhart/)

> [Like 'God's Not Dead,' the fundamentalist Christian movie that has become a popular hit, 'Transcendence' is essentially a dramatized debate. And as 'God's Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-corliss/like-god-s-not-dead-the-fundamentalist-christian-movie-that-has/)

[Richard Corliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-corliss/)

> [“Many fundamentalist Christian Evangelicals are racist because religion and racism are two sides of the same coin. Both are nothing more than primitive tribalism:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/many-fundamentalist-christian-evangelicals-are-racist-because/)

[Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/)

> [I grew up in a very fundamentalist, evangelical Christian household. Both my parents were born-again - their faith infused every aspect of my childhood.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/i-grew-up-in-a-very-fundamentalist-evangelical-christian-household/)

[Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/)

> [As the church watches from the sidelines, the ungodly elect atheists and homosexuals to school boards and legislatures to enact policies and laws that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-simonds/as-the-church-watches-from-the-sidelines-the-ungodly-elect-atheists/)

Robert Simonds

## More by Craig Thompson

> [At night, lying on your back and staring at the falling snow, it's easy to imagine oneself soaring through the stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/at-night-lying-on-your-back-and-staring-at-the-falling-snow-it-s-easy/)

[Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/)

> [How satisfying it is to leave a mark on a blank surface. To make a map of my movement - no matter how temporary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/how-satisfying-it-is-to-leave-a-mark-on-a-blank-surface-to-make-a-map/)

[Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/)

> [The state of your psyche is reflected in your body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/the-state-of-your-psyche-is-reflected-in-your-body/)

[Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/)

> [“I promise-ted I'd care up for him downwise 'til the tailend of time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/i-promise-ted-i-d-care-up-for-him-downwise-til-the-tailend-of-time/)

[Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/)

> [It's actually easier to do autobiographical stories. The story is already there. It's a matter of carving away what doesn't fit rather than building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/it-s-actually-easier-to-do-autobiographical-stories-the-story-is/)

[Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/)

> [On my first visit to the public library, I was like a kid at a candy store where all the candy was free. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/on-my-first-visit-to-the-public-library-i-was-like-a-kid-at-a-candy/)

[Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/)

> [I'm really interested in making a mark on a paper and letting that be cursive shorthand for an idea - that's the origin of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/i-m-really-interested-in-making-a-mark-on-a-paper-and-letting-that-be/)

[Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/)

> [“And slowly the snow began to melt. First, doing a number on children's constructions; Then retreating to the foundations of barns and other buildings.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/and-slowly-the-snow-began-to-melt-first-doing-a-number-on-children-s/)

[Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/)

> [“And there you have it, Your Highness. Turning a jug of water into gold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/and-there-you-have-it-your-highness-turning-a-jug-of-water-into-gold/)

[Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/)

> [I think there is some overlap in terms of artistic desires and Christian desires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/i-think-there-is-some-overlap-in-terms-of-artistic-desires-and/)

[Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/)

> [“They say a man's inspiration is visual, but for a woman, it's the narrative. Abandon both the narrative and the visual. Close your eyes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/they-say-a-man-s-inspiration-is-visual-but-for-a-woman-it-s-the/)

[Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/)

> [I was grateful for cereal --- the only food that my tummy, riddled by pangs of infatuation, could handle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/i-was-grateful-for-cereal-the-only-food-that-my-tummy-riddled-by/)

[Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/)

> [I grew up in a very fundamentalist, evangelical Christian household. Both my parents were born-again - their faith infused every aspect of my childhood.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/i-grew-up-in-a-very-fundamentalist-evangelical-christian-household/)

[Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/)

> [After 'Blankets,' I was sick of drawing myself and doing this autobiographical, mundane, Midwestern sort of comics. I wanted to create something bigger than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/after-blankets-i-was-sick-of-drawing-myself-and-doing-this/)

[Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/)

> [Pressed against her I can hear eternity -- hollow, lonely spaces and currents that churn ceaselessly, and the fallen snow welcomes the falling snow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/pressed-against-her-i-can-hear-eternity-hollow-lonely-spaces-and/)

[Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/)

[Explore all 48 Craig Thompson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/)

## More Access quotes

> [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [You can disseminate your art, and it's all such easy access now. The upside to it is that more people are creating than ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-clarke/you-can-disseminate-your-art-and-it-s-all-such-easy-access-now-the/)

[Stanley Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-clarke/)

> [It's the same with this idea of a literate public, and also of a democracy in which people have access to and really read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hass/it-s-the-same-with-this-idea-of-a-literate-public-and-also-of-a/)

[Robert Hass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hass/)

> [My hope is that if people have the knowledge, and if they actually see where their food comes from and have access to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/my-hope-is-that-if-people-have-the-knowledge-and-if-they-actually-see/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

> [I don't think it's always a sign of respect for persons (inside or outside of fiction) to pretend to be able to represent, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-lerner/i-don-t-think-it-s-always-a-sign-of-respect-for-persons-inside-or/)

[Ben Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-lerner/)

> [Leslie Stein's comics give readers privileged access to a complete and wholly original world of gently skewed wonders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-woodring/leslie-stein-s-comics-give-readers-privileged-access-to-a-complete/)

[Jim Woodring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-woodring/)

> [The best way to fight poverty is to empower people through access to quality education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/the-best-way-to-fight-poverty-is-to-empower-people-through-access-to/)

[John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/)

> [Because the Internet's there, I have access to a lot of the legends, like Fela Kuti. I used to watch a lot of Fela…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-krule/because-the-internet-s-there-i-have-access-to-a-lot-of-the-legends/)

[King Krule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-krule/)

> [There needs to be some regime that is overseeing access to broadband to make sure we have openess; otherwise, there is a risk it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/there-needs-to-be-some-regime-that-is-overseeing-access-to-broadband/)

[Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/)

> [While it's wonderful that investors have access to all the data now available to them, it has become a full-time job to sift through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-bartiromo/while-it-s-wonderful-that-investors-have-access-to-all-the-data-now/)

[Maria Bartiromo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-bartiromo/)

> [It is truly vital for the United States to assure that it is not attacked with weapons of mass destruction; to prevent wars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-truly-vital-for-the-united-states-to-assure-that-it-is-not/)

[Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/)

> [Now that I'm more middle class, I have access to consumer goods. I do enjoy feminine frippery, feminine doo-da, stuff like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-geok-lin-lim/now-that-i-m-more-middle-class-i-have-access-to-consumer-goods-i-do/)

[Shirley Geok-lin Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-geok-lin-lim/)

> [Schools have never been about getting access to information. That's the job of libraries. Schools and universities have nobler missions as gentle gatekeepers. Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-nikiforuk/schools-have-never-been-about-getting-access-to-information-that-s/)

Andrew Nikiforuk

> [To pray is to open the door unto Jesus and admit Him into your distress. Your helplessness is the very thing which opens wide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ole-hallesby/to-pray-is-to-open-the-door-unto-jesus-and-admit-him-into-your/)

[Ole Hallesby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ole-hallesby/)

> [Broadband Internet access shouldn't depend on who you are or where you're from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajit-pai/broadband-internet-access-shouldn-t-depend-on-who-you-are-or-where/)

[Ajit Pai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajit-pai/)

[Browse all 2,178 Access quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I grew up in a very working-class family and also a very fundamentalist Christian family. So, we didn't have access to the arts in the house in any form other than the Sunday funnies.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Craig Thompson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/i-grew-up-in-a-very-working-class-family-and-also-a-very/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Access"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/i-grew-up-in-a-very-working-class-family-and-also-a-very/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/craig-thompson-13868_access_i-grew-up-in-a-very-working-class-family_1762813.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/craig-thompson-13868_access_i-grew-up-in-a-very-working-class-family_1762813.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/craig-thompson-13868_access_i-grew-up-in-a-very-working-class-family_1762813.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I grew up in a very working-class family and also a very fundamentalist Christian family. So, we didn't have…” — Craig Thompson",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Craig Thompson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I grew up in a very...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/i-grew-up-in-a-very-working-class-family-and-also-a-very/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/i-grew-up-in-a-very-working-class-family-and-also-a-very/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```