Aesthetic Quote by Edith Wharton
“My first few weeks in America are always miserable, because the tastes I am cursed with are all of a kind that cannot be gratified here, and I am not enough in sympathy with our gross public to make up for the lack on the aesthetic side. One's friends are delightful; but we are none of us Americans, we don't think or feel as the Americans do, we are the wretched exotics produced in a European glass-house, the most displaced and useless class on earth!”
About This Quote
Source Novel: The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, 1905
A foreigner feels alienated in America because cultural tastes and social norms differ, leading to a sense of uselessness and exile.
In simple terms: Feeling out of place in a new country.
Key Takeaway
Seek communities that share your cultural values.
Themes
alienation
culture shock
identity
exile
Mood
lonely
reflective
Type
personal
social commentary
When to use this quote
- expatriate life
- academic study of immigration
- creative writing workshops
- cultural exchange programs
Key Concepts
exoticism
social displacement
class consciousness
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you find belonging in a foreign culture?
- What aspects of your heritage can enrich your new environment?
A Different Perspective
The quote may overgeneralize Americans and ignore diverse subcultures.
