Black boy Quote by Graham Greene
““A black boy brought Wilson's gin and he sipped it very slowly because he had nothing else to do except to return to his hot and squalid room and read a novel - or a poem. Wilson liked poetry, but he absorbed it secretly, like a drug. The Golden Treasury accompanied him wherever he went, but it was taken at night in small doses - a finger of Longfellow, Macaulay, Mangan: 'Go on to tell how, with genius wasted, Betrayed in friendship, befooled in love...' His taste was romantic. For public exhibition he has his Wallace. He wanted passionately to be indistinguishable on the surface from other men: he wore his moustache like a club tie - it was his highest common factor, but his eyes betrayed him - brown dog's eyes, a setter's eyes, pointing mournfully towards Bond Street.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The End of the Affair by Graham Greene, 1951
A young black man uses poetry and literature as an escape from a bleak, oppressive environment, trying to blend in while his inner self shows his true longing.
In simple terms: He hides his love for poetry to fit in, but his eyes reveal his sadness.
Key Takeaway
Seek authentic expression despite social pressure.
Themes
identity
loneliness
art as escape
social conformity
class disparity
Mood
melancholic
reflective
hopeful
Type
literary
character study
social commentary
When to use this quote
- Urban poverty
- personal introspection
- artistic consumption
- social masking
Key Concepts
Romanticism
cultural alienation
self‑deception
literary refuge
Questions to Reflect On
- How does hidden passion affect self‑identity?
- Can art truly liberate one from oppressive surroundings?
A Different Perspective
His secret literary indulgence may deepen isolation rather than connect him to others.
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