Midwest Quote by Jane Smiley
““Rosie and Mary had taken only a 10 percentage of this privilege - they were three minutes late leaving their room and took the second bus that went past rather than the first just so they could feel themselves standing at a bus stop in Manhattan, New York, surrounded by people who were short, dark and voluble rather than tall, blond and silent. The fatal part was the bus they got on. They, of course stood, because they had been taught to do so, out of respect to everyone else in the whole world - they were from the Midwest and deference was their habit and their training. …"Did you see that?" "What?" replied Mary "That woman." "God, she was rude," said Mary. And from that statement Rosalind knew that Mary would live the rest of her life in the Midwest, which she did.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Last Hundred Years, Jane Smiley, 2008
A brief encounter on a Manhattan bus reveals cultural differences, regional habits, and the lasting impact of first impressions.
In simple terms: A bus ride shows how background and manners shape perception.
Key Takeaway
Notice how small interactions can reveal deeper social dynamics.
Themes
social class
regional identity
cultural clash
first impressions
Mood
reflective
observational
Type
literary
psychological
When to use this quote
- travel
- urban life
- interpersonal communication
- social observation
Key Concepts
Sociology
Narrative
Identity
Questions to Reflect On
- What assumptions do we make about people from different regions?
- How do first impressions affect long‑term judgments?
A Different Perspective
The anecdote may overgeneralize regional traits.
![“I was in a two-person show [with Oliver Ralli] called the Midwesterners where we wrote all of our own stuff and we traveled the country with it. That's what eventually led me to L.A.” quote by Jake M. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/267/jake-m-johnson-19385_country_i-was-in-a-two-person-show-with-oliver-r_1536515.jpg)
