Americans Quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald
““McKisco's contacts with the princely classes in America had impressed upon him their uncertain and fumbling snobbery, their delight in ignorance and their deliberate rudeness, all lifted from the English with no regard paid to factors that make English philistinism and rudeness purposeful, and applied in a land where a little knowledge and civility buy more than they do anywhere else - an attitude which reached its apogee in the "Harvard manner" of about 1900.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1925
The quote critiques the pretentious, ignorant elitism of American high society around 1900, likening it to a misguided version of English snobbery that lacks purposeful depth.
In simple terms: It condemns shallow, rude aristocratic behavior.
Key Takeaway
Beware superficial elitism.
Themes
elitism
class
culture
pretension
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
analytical
observational
When to use this quote
- academic analysis
- social commentary
- literary criticism
Key Concepts
social critique
historical observation
Questions to Reflect On
- How does class affect behavior?
- What defines true civility?
A Different Perspective
It may overgeneralize an entire class.
![“Heres a little truth behind every [justkidding] a little curiosity behind every [justwondering] a little knowledge behind every [idontknow] and a little emotion behind every [idontcare]” quote by Mulfat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/885/mulfat-7771_knowledge_heres-a-little-truth-behind-every-justki_191028.jpg)
