--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There could be no eldest son for her, and…" description: "\"“There could be no eldest son for her, and younger sons were indelicate things, necessary, but not to be much spoken of. Younger sons had none of the p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f4/evelyn-waugh-850_eldest-son_there-could-be-no-eldest-son-for-her-and_2771953.png" --- # There could be no eldest son for her, and younger sons… ![“There could be no eldest son for her, and younger sons were indelicate things, necessary, but not to be much spoken of. Younger sons had none of the privileges of obscurity; it was their plain duty to remain hidden until some disaster perchance promoted them to their brother's places, and, since…” quote by Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f4/evelyn-waugh-850_eldest-son_there-could-be-no-eldest-son-for-her-and_2771953.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f4/evelyn-waugh-850_eldest-son_there-could-be-no-eldest-son-for-her-and_2771953.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f4/evelyn-waugh-850_eldest-son_there-could-be-no-eldest-son-for-her-and_2771953.png) > ““There could be no eldest son for her, and younger sons were indelicate things, necessary, but not to be much spoken of. Younger sons had none of the privileges of obscurity; it was their plain duty to remain hidden until some disaster perchance promoted them to their brother's places, and, since this was their function, it was desirable that they should keep themselves wholly suitable for succession.”” [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Waugh satirically describes the precarious position of younger sons, who must stay hidden until chance elevates them, reflecting rigid inheritance customs. **In simple terms:** Younger sons must stay low until opportunity arises. Key Takeaway Be prepared for unexpected opportunities. Themes social hierarchy inheritance family dynamics class satire Mood reflective humorous Type literary satirical When to use this quote - Aristocratic families - career advancement - family business succession - social mobility - historical contexts Key Concepts social stratification role expectations succession planning Questions to Reflect On - How do hidden talents emerge in contemporary settings? - What structures support or hinder upward mobility? A Different Perspective Modern societies may offer more fluid succession paths. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [Royal relationships across the generations have often been strained and distant, rather than close and affectionate. 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He was a wonderful cabinet-maker, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-zumthor/the-first-10-years-of-my-professional-life-had-only-to-do-with/) [Peter Zumthor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-zumthor/) > [“Some say the Tudors transcend this history, bloody and demonic as it is: that they descend from Brutus through the line of Constantine, son…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/some-say-the-tudors-transcend-this-history-bloody-and-demonic-as-it/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [Though the fact that they have to be rebuilt And frequently mortgaged to the hilt Is inclined to take the gilt Off the gingerbread,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-coward/though-the-fact-that-they-have-to-be-rebuilt-and-frequently-mortgaged/) [Noel Coward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-coward/) > [Vice President Biden had recently launched the 'Cancer Moonshots', a campaign to finally eradicate cancer across humanity. He had lost his eldest son, Beau,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-sager/vice-president-biden-had-recently-launched-the-cancer-moonshots-a/) [Craig Sager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-sager/) > [On the king's gate the moss grew gray; The king came not. They call'd him dead; And made his eldest son, one day, Slave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hunt-jackson/on-the-king-s-gate-the-moss-grew-gray-the-king-came-not-they-call-d/) [Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) > [The Emperor Constantine, who lifted Christianity into power, murdered his wife Fausta, and his eldest son Crispus, the same year that he convened the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/the-emperor-constantine-who-lifted-christianity-into-power-murdered/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [“Many Horses was putting the finishing touches on a bow he had been making when Hunter entered the tepee. Setting the weapon aside, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/many-horses-was-putting-the-finishing-touches-on-a-bow-he-had-been/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [“Silas’s last book: mother lying-in with her eleventh upstairs, father laid-out after his ninth downstairs, eldest son lying to the Government in the cow-shed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-tey/silas-s-last-book-mother-lying-in-with-her-eleventh-upstairs-father/) [Josephine Tey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-tey/) > [“I could have allowed myself more time. I have used my best efforts, with the aid of my eldest son, F. D. Grant, assisted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ulysses-s-grant/i-could-have-allowed-myself-more-time-i-have-used-my-best-efforts/) [Ulysses S. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ulysses-s-grant/) > [Father was the eldest son and the heir apparent, and he set the standard for being a Rockefeller very high, so every achievement was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rockefeller/father-was-the-eldest-son-and-the-heir-apparent-and-he-set-the/) [David Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rockefeller/) > [“Wild horses wouldn't have made Daniel admit that his wife, Anna, would have lectured him for an hour if she'd known what he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/wild-horses-wouldn-t-have-made-daniel-admit-that-his-wife-anna-would/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [It has always touched my heart to sense so deeply how much the Father loved His eldest son.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-hales/it-has-always-touched-my-heart-to-sense-so-deeply-how-much-the-father/) [Robert D. Hales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-hales/) > [I do believe that where there is a choice between cowardice and non-violence I would advise violence. Thus when my eldest son asked me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-believe-that-where-there-is-a-choice-between-cowardice-and-non/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [We were the outliers: my mother was the only Western woman (khawagayya, in Egyptian Arabic) to have married into the family, and during my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shereen-el-feki/we-were-the-outliers-my-mother-was-the-only-western-woman-khawagayya/) [Shereen El Feki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shereen-el-feki/) ## More by Evelyn Waugh > [If, for instance, they have heard something from the postman, they attribute it to a semi-official statement; if they have fallen into conversation with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/if-for-instance-they-have-heard-something-from-the-postman-they/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [One can write, think and pray exclusively of others; dreams are all egocentric.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/one-can-write-think-and-pray-exclusively-of-others-dreams-are-all/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [“Sometimes," Helena continued, "I have a terrible dream of the future. Not now, but presently, people may forget their loyalty to their kings and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/sometimes-helena-continued-i-have-a-terrible-dream-of-the-future-not/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [“Rex has never been unkind to me intentionally. It's just that he isn't a real person at all; he's just a few faculties of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/rex-has-never-been-unkind-to-me-intentionally-it-s-just-that-he-isn-t/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [If it could only be like this always – always summer, always alone, the fruit always ripe and Aloysius in a good temper...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/if-it-could-only-be-like-this-always-always-summer-always-alone-the/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [“My dear, I should like to stick you full of barbed arrows like a p-p-pin cushion...Where do you lurk? I shall come down your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/my-dear-i-should-like-to-stick-you-full-of-barbed-arrows-like-a-p-p/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [There is something incomparably thrilling in first opening a brand new book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/there-is-something-incomparably-thrilling-in-first-opening-a-brand/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [“Beware the Anglo-Catholics. They're all sodomites with unpleasant accents." --Cousin Jasper”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/beware-the-anglo-catholics-they-re-all-sodomites-with-unpleasant/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [“The fortnight at Venice passed quickly and sweetly-- perhaps too sweetly; I was drowning in honey, stingless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/the-fortnight-at-venice-passed-quickly-and-sweetly-perhaps-too/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [“It’s awful to think that I shall probably never, as long as I live, see you dancing like that again all by yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/it-s-awful-to-think-that-i-shall-probably-never-as-long-as-i-live-see/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [I've always been bad. Probably I shall be bad again, punished again. But the worse I am, the more I need God. I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/i-ve-always-been-bad-probably-i-shall-be-bad-again-punished-again-but/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [His courtesy was somewhat extravagant. He would write and thank people who wrote to thank him for wedding presents and when he encountered anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/his-courtesy-was-somewhat-extravagant-he-would-write-and-thank-people/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [Limbo is the place. In Limbo one has natural happiness without the beatific vision; no harps; no communal order; but wine and conversation and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/limbo-is-the-place-in-limbo-one-has-natural-happiness-without-the/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [“What is adolescence without trash?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/what-is-adolescence-without-trash/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [Perhaps host and guest is really the happiest relation for father and son.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/perhaps-host-and-guest-is-really-the-happiest-relation-for-father-and/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) [Explore all 347 Evelyn Waugh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) ## More Eldest son quotes > [We were the outliers: my mother was the only Western woman (khawagayya, in Egyptian Arabic) to have married into the family, and during my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shereen-el-feki/we-were-the-outliers-my-mother-was-the-only-western-woman-khawagayya/) [Shereen El Feki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shereen-el-feki/) > [I do believe that where there is a choice between cowardice and non-violence I would advise violence. 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Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ulysses-s-grant/) > [“Silas’s last book: mother lying-in with her eleventh upstairs, father laid-out after his ninth downstairs, eldest son lying to the Government in the cow-shed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-tey/silas-s-last-book-mother-lying-in-with-her-eleventh-upstairs-father/) [Josephine Tey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-tey/) > [“Many Horses was putting the finishing touches on a bow he had been making when Hunter entered the tepee. Setting the weapon aside, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/many-horses-was-putting-the-finishing-touches-on-a-bow-he-had-been/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [The Emperor Constantine, who lifted Christianity into power, murdered his wife Fausta, and his eldest son Crispus, the same year that he convened the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/the-emperor-constantine-who-lifted-christianity-into-power-murdered/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [On the king's gate the moss grew gray; The king came not. They call'd him dead; And made his eldest son, one day, Slave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hunt-jackson/on-the-king-s-gate-the-moss-grew-gray-the-king-came-not-they-call-d/) [Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) > [Vice President Biden had recently launched the 'Cancer Moonshots', a campaign to finally eradicate cancer across humanity. 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He was a wonderful cabinet-maker, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-zumthor/the-first-10-years-of-my-professional-life-had-only-to-do-with/) [Peter Zumthor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-zumthor/) > [Indeed, the Duke of Edinburgh's disdain for his eldest son was all the more shocking because he made little or no attempt to hide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/indeed-the-duke-of-edinburgh-s-disdain-for-his-eldest-son-was-all-the/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) Browse all 60 Eldest son quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There could be no eldest son for her, and younger sons were indelicate things, necessary, but not to be much spoken of. 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