First place Quote by Gary D. Schmidt
““On Saturday mornings during deliveries, I'd practice picking out new words in Jane Eyre, sounding out the ones that needed sounding out—and I'm not lying, there were plenty. "'A new servitude! There is something in that,' I soliloquized." I mean, who talks like that? Do you know how long it takes to sound out a word like soliloquized? And even after you do, you have no idea what the stupid word means except that it probably just means "said," which is what stupid Charlotte Brontë should have said in the first place. When I delivered Mrs. Mason's groceries, she saw that I had Jane Eyre stuck under my arm. "Oh," she said, "that was my favorite novel in school." "It was?" I soliloquized.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt, 2007
A character uses elaborate language to impress, revealing how pretentious speech can mask insecurity and misunderstanding of meaning.
In simple terms: Pretentious words hide insecurity.
Key Takeaway
Be authentic, avoid overcomplicating speech.
Themes
insecurity
pretension
language
selfexpression
Mood
reflective
humorous
Type
literary
conversational
When to use this quote
- classroom reading
- personal reflection
- social interaction
Key Concepts
literature
identity
communication
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you use big words to impress?
- How does pretension affect relationships?
A Different Perspective
Words can sound impressive yet lack clarity.
