--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was aware that you weren't supposed to…" description: "\"I was aware that you weren't supposed to write about suburbia, that it was undignified in some way, the subject matter not momentous enough. And so, fo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcb/jeffrey-eugenides-462_enough_i-was-aware-that-you-weren-t-supposed-to_40771.jpg" --- # I was aware that you weren't supposed to write about… ![“I was aware that you weren't supposed to write about suburbia, that it was undignified in some way, the subject matter not momentous enough. And so, for a long time, that kept me from writing about it. But once I began, I realized it was just as interesting as anywhere else.” quote by Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcb/jeffrey-eugenides-462_enough_i-was-aware-that-you-weren-t-supposed-to_40771.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcb/jeffrey-eugenides-462_enough_i-was-aware-that-you-weren-t-supposed-to_40771.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcb/jeffrey-eugenides-462_enough_i-was-aware-that-you-weren-t-supposed-to_40771.jpg) > “I was aware that you weren't supposed to write about suburbia, that it was undignified in some way, the subject matter not momentous enough. And so, for a long time, that kept me from writing about it. But once I began, I realized it was just as interesting as anywhere else.” [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) ## 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 challenges the notion that everyday settings like suburbia lack literary merit, asserting that ordinary places can be as compelling as any grand subject. **In simple terms:** Ordinary settings can be profound. Key Takeaway Don't dismiss the mundane. Themes everyday life literary value perception place authenticity social critique Mood reflective defiant curious Type personal insight literary commentary cultural observation When to use this quote - writing about hometown - teaching creative writing - urban planning discussions - media critique - personal memoir Key Concepts subjectivity cultural bias environment narrative focus Practical Applications - inspire writers to explore familiar locales - reframe cultural narratives Questions to Reflect On - Why do we deem some topics 'unworthy' of art? - How does setting shape a story's impact? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Suburbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suburbia/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [An acquaintance of mine, a notary by profession, who, by perpetual writing, began first to complain of an excessive wariness of his whole right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernardino-ramazzini/an-acquaintance-of-mine-a-notary-by-profession-who-by-perpetual/) [Bernardino Ramazzini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernardino-ramazzini/) > [The idea of directing was something that I always had in the back of my mind, and writing as well. 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