Kansas city Quote by John Fante
““The old folk from Indiana and Iowa and Illinois, from Boston and Kansas City and Des Moines, they sold their homes and their stores, and they came here by train and by automobile to the land of sunshine, to die in the sun, with just enough money to live until the sun killed them, tore themselves out by the roots in their last days, deserted the smug prosperity of Kansas City and Chicago and Peoria to find a place in the sun. And when they got here they found that other and greater thieves had already taken possession, that even the sun belonged to the others; Smith and Jones and Parker, druggist, banker, baker, dust of Chicago and Cincinnati and Cleveland on their shoes, doomed to die in the sun, a few dollars in the bank, enough to subscribe to the Los Angeles Times, enough to keep alive the illusion that this was paradise, that their little papier-mâché homes were castles.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Ask the Dust by John Fante, 1939
Migrants chase sunshine, only to find exploitation and shattered dreams.
In simple terms: Hope can become a trap.
Key Takeaway
Seek realistic expectations.
Themes
migration
illusion
exploitation
Mood
cynical
melancholic
Type
literary
social commentary
When to use this quote
- searching for work
- settling in new towns
Key Concepts
American Dream
urbanization
economic disparity
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “sunshine” truly mean to you?
- How can you protect yourself from false promises?
A Different Perspective
Idealizing places ignores systemic hardships.
