--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You want to be French, Mary Frances…" description: "\"“You want to be French, Mary Frances, that's your problem, but instead you're just another American.\" I went to the window for that one an saw a marria..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d7/david-sedaris-333_americans_you-want-to-be-french-mary-frances-that_317845.jpg" --- # You want to be French, Mary Frances, that's your problem… ![“You want to be French, Mary Frances, that's your problem, but instead you're just another American." I went to the window for that one an saw a marriage disintegrate before my eyes. Poor Mary Frances in her beige beret... "Americans," he repeated. "We don't live in in France, we live in Virginia…” quote by David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d7/david-sedaris-333_americans_you-want-to-be-french-mary-frances-that_317845.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d7/david-sedaris-333_americans_you-want-to-be-french-mary-frances-that_317845.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d7/david-sedaris-333_americans_you-want-to-be-french-mary-frances-that_317845.jpg) > ““You want to be French, Mary Frances, that's your problem, but instead you're just another American." I went to the window for that one an saw a marriage disintegrate before my eyes. Poor Mary Frances in her beige beret... "Americans," he repeated. "We don't live in in France, we live in Virginia. Vienna, Virginia. Got it?" I looked at this guy and knew for certain that if we'd met at a party he'd claim to live in Washington, D.C. Ask for a street address, and he'd look away, mumbling, "Well, just outside D.C.”” [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A satirical observation on identity and cultural pretension, highlighting how people claim exotic origins while remaining rooted in their own familiar surroundings. **In simple terms:** People often pretend to be something they’re not. Key Takeaway Recognize and accept your true background. Themes identity culture pretension humor Mood wry reflective Type satirical observational When to use this quote - travel anecdotes - cultural discussions - personal identity crises Key Concepts social commentary self‑deception Questions to Reflect On - Do you ever feel pressure to adopt another culture? - How does humor reveal truth about identity? A Different Perspective The humor may mask deeper insecurities about belonging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) [Virginia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virginia/) ## Related quotes > [My mother is American. I first went to school in America, and we came back when I was about six to rural Norfolk. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-rayner/my-mother-is-american-i-first-went-to-school-in-america-and-we-came/) [Adam Rayner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-rayner/) > [There were about six years when there was not one American who went into space. We shouldn't do that again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/there-were-about-six-years-when-there-was-not-one-american-who-went/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [Once I started on 'Frances' I discovered it was literally a bottomless well. It devastated me to maintain that for eighteen weeks, to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-lange/once-i-started-on-frances-i-discovered-it-was-literally-a-bottomless/) [Jessica Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-lange/) > ['Frances' is a longtime family name on my dad's side. My grandfather, father, brother, and my daughter's name is Frances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-spade/frances-is-a-longtime-family-name-on-my-dad-s-side-my-grandfather/) [Kate Spade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-spade/) > [“O fat white woman whom nobody loves —Frances Crofts Cornford”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-c-beaton/o-fat-white-woman-whom-nobody-loves-frances-crofts-cornford/) [M.C. Beaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-c-beaton/) > [“For once, Frances is stripped of irony. She is in the presence of something bigger--namely Herself. Or at least the self implied by her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-marie-macdonald/for-once-frances-is-stripped-of-irony-she-is-in-the-presence-of/) [Ann-Marie MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-marie-macdonald/) > ['Frances Ha' is the closest final product to what I had in my head of any movie I've made. I'm not entirely even sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-baumbach/frances-ha-is-the-closest-final-product-to-what-i-had-in-my-head-of/) [Noah Baumbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-baumbach/) > [I have never known Frances to complain once of my Church responsibilities. I have been gone many days and many nights, and I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/i-have-never-known-frances-to-complain-once-of-my-church/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [I remember the first time I saw 'Frances Ha' and was like, 'This is what I want to do.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-newton/i-remember-the-first-time-i-saw-frances-ha-and-was-like-this-is-what/) [Kathryn Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-newton/) > [“Eventually Frances was credited with writing 325 scripts covering every conceivable genre. She also directed and produced half a dozen films, was the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cari-beauchamp/eventually-frances-was-credited-with-writing-325-scripts-covering/) [Cari Beauchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cari-beauchamp/) > [“all its occupants had left without her. This troubled Frances not in the least. She already seemed to have made a lot of new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosamunde-pilcher/all-its-occupants-had-left-without-her-this-troubled-frances-not-in/) [Rosamunde Pilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosamunde-pilcher/) > [I saw Frances Bean at a Blink 182 show. And she was with a guy who looked just like Kurt Cobain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-tuff/i-saw-frances-bean-at-a-blink-182-show-and-she-was-with-a-guy-who/) [King Tuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-tuff/) > [I love Frances McDormand so much. I love her career. And I think it's fun because she gets to do comedy as well as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-harris/i-love-frances-mcdormand-so-much-i-love-her-career-and-i-think-it-s/) [Rachael Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-harris/) > [Frances Conroy - brilliant, brilliant actress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nazanin-boniadi/frances-conroy-brilliant-brilliant-actress/) [Nazanin Boniadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nazanin-boniadi/) > [Frances Stevens: Mother, this is why I've had to spend half my life running around the world after youto keep men like this away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-michael-hayes/frances-stevens-mother-this-is-why-i-ve-had-to-spend-half-my-life/) [John Michael Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-michael-hayes/) ## More by David Sedaris > [“Plenty of animals had pets, but few were more devoted than the mouse, who owned a baby corn snake—“A rescue snake, she’d be quick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/plenty-of-animals-had-pets-but-few-were-more-devoted-than-the-mouse/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [“never fall asleep in a Dumpster, never underestimate a bee, never drive a convertible behind a flatbed truck, never get old, never get drunk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/never-fall-asleep-in-a-dumpster-never-underestimate-a-bee-never-drive/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [“It was a father, one hand resting teapot-style on his hip, and the other - what would be the spout - formed into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/it-was-a-father-one-hand-resting-teapot-style-on-his-hip-and-the/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [“A Japanese woman we’d met in Paris came to the apartment yesterday and spent several hours explaining our appliances. 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"I'm guessing you must be Catholic, am I right?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/you-have-how-many-children-in-your-family-the-teacher-would-ask-i-m/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [“Like most seasoned phonies, I roundly suspect that everyone is as disingenuous as I am.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/like-most-seasoned-phonies-i-roundly-suspect-that-everyone-is-as/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [As a child I assumed that when I reached adulthood, I would have grown-up thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/as-a-child-i-assumed-that-when-i-reached-adulthood-i-would-have-grown/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [“You just take and take don´t you? Out there with your thumb in the air—not a care in the world, just grabbing whatever you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/you-just-take-and-take-don-t-you-out-there-with-your-thumb-in-the-air/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [In other parts of the country people tried to stay together for the sake of the children. In New York they tried to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/in-other-parts-of-the-country-people-tried-to-stay-together-for-the/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [My boyfriend got me a computer three years ago. I'll admit it does make things a lot easier. When I was working on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/my-boyfriend-got-me-a-computer-three-years-ago-i-ll-admit-it-does/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [I spent months searching for some secret code before I realized that common sense has nothing to do with it. Hysteria, psychosis, torture, depression:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/i-spent-months-searching-for-some-secret-code-before-i-realized-that/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [I hated leaving a hole in the smoking world, and so I recruited someone to take my place. People have given me a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/i-hated-leaving-a-hole-in-the-smoking-world-and-so-i-recruited/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [Write relentlessly, until you find your voice. Then, use it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/write-relentlessly-until-you-find-your-voice-then-use-it/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) [Explore all 667 David Sedaris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) ## More Americans quotes > [“People – Americans, mostly – realise how attached they are to material comforts when they arrive in India.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-william-roberts/people-americans-mostly-realise-how-attached-they-are-to-material/) Paul William Roberts > [Music has an intrinsic value that touches Americans - they love their music, and want more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-rosen/music-has-an-intrinsic-value-that-touches-americans-they-love-their/) [Hilary Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-rosen/) > [Americans are very friendly and very suspicious, that is what Americans are and that is what always upsets the foreigner, who deals with them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/americans-are-very-friendly-and-very-suspicious-that-is-what/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [“Medical studies have shown that cursing reduces levels of stress and pain. Repressing your anger is not healthy. It's much better to verbalize it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/medical-studies-have-shown-that-cursing-reduces-levels-of-stress-and/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [Just because the Americans are so good at rattling out accessible and cheap junk food, nobody looks twice when it comes to their food.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-oliver/just-because-the-americans-are-so-good-at-rattling-out-accessible-and/) [Jamie Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-oliver/) > [My parents don't care what Americans think of us; we just care what the other Indian people in our community think of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/himanshu-suri/my-parents-don-t-care-what-americans-think-of-us-we-just-care-what/) [Himanshu Suri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/himanshu-suri/) > [When Americans, who have no idea who I am, laugh at my jokes, it's exactly the same if someone loves you even if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gad-elmaleh/when-americans-who-have-no-idea-who-i-am-laugh-at-my-jokes-it-s/) [Gad Elmaleh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gad-elmaleh/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. 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You love this country. Together we are entrusted with the principles that represent mankind's greatest political and social achievement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tsongas/you-are-americans-you-love-this-country-together-we-are-entrusted/) [Paul Tsongas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tsongas/) [Browse all 1,536 Americans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You want to be French, Mary Frances, that's your problem, but instead you're just another American.\" I went to the window for that one an saw a marriage disintegrate before my eyes. Poor Mary Frances in her beige beret... \"Americans,\" he repeated. \"We don't live in in France, we live in Virginia. Vienna, Virginia. Got it?\" I looked at this guy and knew for certain that if we'd met at a party he'd claim to live in Washington, D.C. 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