Culture Quote by Jamaica Kincaid
“Most of the nations that have serious gardening cultures have, or had, empires. You can't have this luxury of pleasure without somebody paying for it. This is nice to know. It's nice to know that when you sit down to enjoy a plate of strawberries, somebody got paid very little so that you could have your strawberries. It doesn't mean the strawberries will taste different, but it's nice to enjoy things less than we do. We enjoy things far too much, and it leads to incredible pain and suffering.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The New Yorker, “The Pleasure of the Table”, 1995
We often enjoy luxuries built on the labor of low-paid workers, which masks the hidden costs of our consumption.
In simple terms: Enjoying comforts hides the cheap labor behind them.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and appreciate the unseen labor.
Themes
consumerism
inequality
gratitude
Mood
reflective
thoughtful
Type
ethical
social commentary
When to use this quote
- grocery shopping
- restaurant dining
- holiday meals
- fair‑trade choices
Key Concepts
social economics
labor exploitation
ethical consumption
Questions to Reflect On
- How does knowing the labor behind a product change your enjoyment?
- Can you support alternatives that value workers?
A Different Perspective
The quote overlooks that not all luxuries are tied to exploitation; some are sustainably sourced.
