Clean Quote by Donald Barthelme
“Now it is necessary to court her, and win her, and put on this clean dressing gown, and cut my various nails, and drink something that will kill the millions of germs in my mouth, and say something flattering, and be witty and bonny, and hale and kinky, all just to ease this wrinkle in the groin. It seems a high price.”
About This Quote
Source Short story: “The School”, 1976
He satirically lists absurd courtship rituals, highlighting societal pressures on intimacy.
In simple terms: Courtship demands absurd rituals.
Key Takeaway
Question social expectations.
Themes
courtship
society
ritual
humor
Mood
ironic
critical
Type
satirical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- dating
- social norms
- personal grooming
Key Concepts
social satire
absurdity
Questions to Reflect On
- What rituals feel unnecessary today?
- How can authenticity replace performance?
A Different Perspective
Exaggeration may obscure genuine connection.
![“I walked all around it [the Guggenheim Bilbao] and couldn't find one clear, clean shot. To make things worse, the weather was lousy. Nothing about this rang commercial money shot. In a situation like this there's only one thing to do: forget about pleasing editors, please yourself.” quote by Robert Polidori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/375/robert-polidori-55002_clean_i-walked-all-around-it-the-guggenheim-bi_9097.jpg)
