--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ninety-nine per cent of traditional…" description: "\"Ninety-nine per cent of traditional English literature concerns people who never have to worry about money at all. We always seem to be watching or rea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/411/james-kelman-33577_aristocracy_ninety-nine-per-cent-of-traditional-engl_345526.jpg" --- # Ninety-nine per cent of traditional English literature… ![“Ninety-nine per cent of traditional English literature concerns people who never have to worry about money at all. We always seem to be watching or reading about emotional crises among folk who live in a world of great fortune both in matters of luck and money; stories and fantasies about rock…” quote by James Kelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/411/james-kelman-33577_aristocracy_ninety-nine-per-cent-of-traditional-engl_345526.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/411/james-kelman-33577_aristocracy_ninety-nine-per-cent-of-traditional-engl_345526.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/411/james-kelman-33577_aristocracy_ninety-nine-per-cent-of-traditional-engl_345526.jpg) > “Ninety-nine per cent of traditional English literature concerns people who never have to worry about money at all. We always seem to be watching or reading about emotional crises among folk who live in a world of great fortune both in matters of luck and money; stories and fantasies about rock stars and film stars, sporting millionaires and models; jet-setting members of the aristocracy and international financiers.” [James Kelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-kelman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author critiques that most classic English works focus on affluent characters, ignoring the struggles of ordinary people and reinforcing class disparities. **In simple terms:** Literature often overlooks the poor, focusing on the rich. Key Takeaway Seek stories that represent diverse socioeconomic experiences. Themes class literature representation inequality Mood critical analytical Type social educational When to use this quote - reading recommendations - educational curricula - media production Key Concepts social critique cultural analysis economic disparity Questions to Reflect On - How can we amplify voices of the less privileged? - What impact does class representation have on readers? A Different Perspective Focusing only on the wealthy can perpetuate social blind spots. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aristocracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aristocracy/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Crisis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crisis/) [Emotional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional/) [English Lit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english-lit/) [English literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english-literature/) [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Film star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-star/) [Fortune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortune/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luck/) [Millionaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/millionaire/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Rock star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock-star/) [Rock stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock-stars/) [Rocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rocks/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) ## Related quotes > [Very broadly, literature concerns itself with the internal, cinema with the external.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/very-broadly-literature-concerns-itself-with-the-internal-cinema-with/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [You cannot tell whether a person is good or bad by his vicissitudes in life. Good and bad fortune are matters of fate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/you-cannot-tell-whether-a-person-is-good-or-bad-by-his-vicissitudes/) [Yamamoto Tsunetomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamamoto-tsunetomo/) > [Better mankind born without mouths and stomachs than always to worry about money to buy, to shop, to fix, to cook, to wash, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tillie-olsen/better-mankind-born-without-mouths-and-stomachs-than-always-to-worry/) [Tillie Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tillie-olsen/) > [No matter what stage of life I'm at, I think I'll always worry about money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-love/no-matter-what-stage-of-life-i-m-at-i-think-i-ll-always-worry-about/) [Judi Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-love/) > [You will be amazed at how much free time you actually have when you never have to think about or worry about money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/you-will-be-amazed-at-how-much-free-time-you-actually-have-when-you/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [My biggest thing to say is just don't worry about money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-maeve/my-biggest-thing-to-say-is-just-don-t-worry-about-money/) [Stella Maeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-maeve/) > [I didn't have to see this big clock on the wall and worry. Most of the record I made was experimental. If you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-powter/i-didn-t-have-to-see-this-big-clock-on-the-wall-and-worry-most-of-the/) [Daniel Powter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-powter/) > [The only people who really worry about money are the very poor and the very rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/the-only-people-who-really-worry-about-money-are-the-very-poor-and/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“Gone were the days when Zuckerman had only to worry about Zuckerman making money: henceforth he would have to worry about his money making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/gone-were-the-days-when-zuckerman-had-only-to-worry-about-zuckerman/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [Decisions I make, the money, my contract, all of that will handle itself. I don't ever worry about my money. I already have enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-butler/decisions-i-make-the-money-my-contract-all-of-that-will-handle-itself/) [Jimmy Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-butler/) > [When I started earning, a lot of me didn't need worrying about anymore, so I had scope to worry about someone else. Money, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-skinner/when-i-started-earning-a-lot-of-me-didn-t-need-worrying-about-anymore/) [Frank Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-skinner/) > [“Most people worry about their money. So why in the heck would you want to be like most people?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-repak/most-people-worry-about-their-money-so-why-in-the-heck-would-you-want/) [Steve Repak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-repak/) > [Do a good job. You don't have to worry about the money; it will take care of itself. Just do your best work then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/do-a-good-job-you-don-t-have-to-worry-about-the-money-it-will-take/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Money gives me just one big thing that's really important, and that's the freedom of not having to worry about money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/money-gives-me-just-one-big-thing-that-s-really-important-and-that-s/) [Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/) > [It's silly to have as one's sole object in life just making money, accumulating wealth. I work because I enjoy what I'm doing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/it-s-silly-to-have-as-one-s-sole-object-in-life-just-making-money/) [Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/) ## More by James Kelman > [“Funny how ye tell people a story to make a point and ye fail, ye fail, a total disaster. Not only do ye no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-kelman/funny-how-ye-tell-people-a-story-to-make-a-point-and-ye-fail-ye-fail/) [James Kelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-kelman/) > [“Obviously as a writer you have to reflect on why your work is provoking such hostility, because all you want to do is write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-kelman/obviously-as-a-writer-you-have-to-reflect-on-why-your-work-is/) [James Kelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-kelman/) > [“...I used to think there was something up with any female that liked me, I mean, if she didni get bored with my company,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-kelman/i-used-to-think-there-was-something-up-with-any-female-that-liked-me/) [James Kelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-kelman/) > [The beauty of prose fiction that I see is simply that in order to create something you need only pay attention to personal exigency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-kelman/the-beauty-of-prose-fiction-that-i-see-is-simply-that-in-order-to/) [James Kelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-kelman/) > [In prose fiction the freedom to work honestly exists, although you may have to fight for it. In those other areas of literature, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-kelman/in-prose-fiction-the-freedom-to-work-honestly-exists-although-you-may/) [James Kelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-kelman/) > [“Nay point in hoping for the best.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-kelman/nay-point-in-hoping-for-the-best/) [James Kelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-kelman/) > [“But lassies are trained for it, in a manner of speaking; it's part of the growing-up process for them, young females. It doesn't happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-kelman/but-lassies-are-trained-for-it-in-a-manner-of-speaking-it-s-part-of/) [James Kelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-kelman/) > [Creativity is not passive, I don't see the creation of art as passive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-kelman/creativity-is-not-passive-i-don-t-see-the-creation-of-art-as-passive/) [James Kelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-kelman/) > [Theoretical webs, dirty webs, fusty webs, old and shrivelling away into nothingness, a fine dust.Who needs that kind of stuff. Far far better getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-kelman/theoretical-webs-dirty-webs-fusty-webs-old-and-shrivelling-away-into/) [James Kelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-kelman/) > [“There existed very long saxophones from years ago. The player sat on their chair like a cellist; that same sort of feeling to it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-kelman/there-existed-very-long-saxophones-from-years-ago-the-player-sat-on/) [James Kelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-kelman/) > [“Ye wake in a corner and stay there hoping yer body will disappear, the thoughts smothering ye; these thoughts; but ye want to remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-kelman/ye-wake-in-a-corner-and-stay-there-hoping-yer-body-will-disappear-the/) [James Kelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-kelman/) > [“Folk take a battering but, they do; they get born and they get brought up and they get fuckt. That's the story; the cot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-kelman/folk-take-a-battering-but-they-do-they-get-born-and-they-get-brought/) [James Kelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-kelman/) > [My culture and my language have the right to exist, and no one has the authority to dismiss that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-kelman/my-culture-and-my-language-have-the-right-to-exist-and-no-one-has-the/) [James Kelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-kelman/) [Explore all 14 James Kelman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-kelman/) ## More Aristocracy quotes > [When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought 'Lord' was super rad, but really masculine - ever since I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/when-i-was-trying-to-come-up-with-a-stage-name-i-thought-lord-was/) [Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [Motherland is our property and we have right to handle our properties as pleased. The jokes about death for the sake of the motherland…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/motherland-is-our-property-and-we-have-right-to-handle-our-properties/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [There is... an artificial aristocracy founded on wealth and birth, without either virtue or talents... The artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/there-is-an-artificial-aristocracy-founded-on-wealth-and-birth/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Your best friends are your principles, if you havent them, dont look for another friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/your-best-friends-are-your-principles-if-you-havent-them-dont-look/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [A strong saying is not afraid of criticism, because it includes all the answers to criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/a-strong-saying-is-not-afraid-of-criticism-because-it-includes-all/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [“I believe in aristocracy, though -- if that is the right word, and if a democrat may use it. Not an aristocracy of power,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster-2/i-believe-in-aristocracy-though-if-that-is-the-right-word-and-if-a/) [E.M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster-2/) > [24.9 percent of American children live in poverty, while the proportions in Germany, France and Italy are 8.6, 7.4 and 10.5 percent. And once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hutton/24-9-percent-of-american-children-live-in-poverty-while-the/) [Will Hutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hutton/) > [Tomorrow every Duchess in London will be waiting to kiss me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsay-macdonald/tomorrow-every-duchess-in-london-will-be-waiting-to-kiss-me/) [Ramsay MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsay-macdonald/) > [“Why do these big old country houses always have family portraits in the dining room? Do you really want to eat with someone's gloomy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-jane-howard/why-do-these-big-old-country-houses-always-have-family-portraits-in/) [Elizabeth Jane Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-jane-howard/) > [“I believe in aristocracy, though—if that is the right word, and if a democrat may use it. Not an aristocracy of power … but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-n-aron/i-believe-in-aristocracy-though-if-that-is-the-right-word-and-if-a-2/) [Elaine N. Aron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-n-aron/) > [Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations. Books, the oldest and the best, stand naturally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/books-are-the-treasured-wealth-of-the-world-and-the-fit-inheritance/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [We stand a better chance with aristocracy, whether hereditary or elective, than with monarchy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-stiles/we-stand-a-better-chance-with-aristocracy-whether-hereditary-or/) [Ezra Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-stiles/) > [ The law for religious freedom... \[has\]put down the aristocracy of the clergy and restored to the citizen the freedom of the mind. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-law-for-religious-freedom-has-put-down-the-aristocracy-of-the/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Common sense, in so far as it exists, is all for the bourgeoisie. Nonsense is the privilege of the aristocracy. The worries of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-jean-nathan/common-sense-in-so-far-as-it-exists-is-all-for-the-bourgeoisie/) [George Jean Nathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-jean-nathan/) [Browse all 426 Aristocracy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aristocracy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Ninety-nine per cent of traditional English literature concerns people who never have to worry about money at all. 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