--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Her father was frightened by a strange…" description: "\"“Her father was frightened by a strange bed or a foreign language or a political party he didn't belong to. Her father truly believed that the Democrat..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35c/john-steinbeck-71_democratic-party_her-father-was-frightened-by-a-strange-b_3064153.jpg" --- # Her father was frightened by a strange bed or a foreign… ![“Her father was frightened by a strange bed or a foreign language or a political party he didn't belong to. Her father truly believed that the Democratic party was a subversive organization whose design would destroy the United States and put it in the hands of bearded communists.” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35c/john-steinbeck-71_democratic-party_her-father-was-frightened-by-a-strange-b_3064153.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35c/john-steinbeck-71_democratic-party_her-father-was-frightened-by-a-strange-b_3064153.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35c/john-steinbeck-71_democratic-party_her-father-was-frightened-by-a-strange-b_3064153.jpg) > ““Her father was frightened by a strange bed or a foreign language or a political party he didn't belong to. Her father truly believed that the Democratic party was a subversive organization whose design would destroy the United States and put it in the hands of bearded communists.”” [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He illustrates a father's paranoia about political parties, reflecting fear‑driven conspiracy thinking that can distort reality. **In simple terms:** A father feared the Democratic Party as a threat. Key Takeaway Question fear‑based narratives. Themes politics paranoia family Mood critical analytical Type literary political When to use this quote - political discourse - family dynamics - media literacy Key Concepts conspiracy theory social influence Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports his fear? - How does fear shape political views? A Different Perspective Overgeneralization can fuel division. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bearded Communists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bearded-communists-5152610/) [Believed Democratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believed-democratic-1824975/) [Democratic party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic-party/) [Father Frightened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father-frightened-5152608/) [Foreign language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-language/) [Frightened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frightened/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Party Subversive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party-subversive-5152609/) [Political party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-party/) ## Related quotes > [My father was frightened of his mother. I was frightened of my father and I am damned well going to see to it that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-father-was-frightened-of-his-mother-i-was-frightened-of-my-father/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We brought death to our enemies, and I loved the power of it. And that final love, one I shared with my father, frightened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/we-brought-death-to-our-enemies-and-i-loved-the-power-of-it-and-that/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [“French writer Alexis de Tocqueville captured this sentiment, from a foreigner’s perspective, writing in 1831 after a tour of the nascent country that “The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-h-bradley/french-writer-alexis-de-tocqueville-captured-this-sentiment-from-a/) [Elizabeth H. Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-h-bradley/) > [“Certainly, I believed that our democratic system of government was the best thing going. I was a flag-waver from way back. I was proud…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-cezar/certainly-i-believed-that-our-democratic-system-of-government-was-the/) [Richard Cezar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-cezar/) > [The thing that should most concern us is a shift in American foreign policy. We have had a bipartisan belief in American foreign policy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/the-thing-that-should-most-concern-us-is-a-shift-in-american-foreign/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [The position of the Americans is quite exceptional, and it may be believed that no democratic people will ever be placed in a similar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/the-position-of-the-americans-is-quite-exceptional-and-it-may-be/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [“The Actor, noticing a closed bookshop, dismounted from the horse which he tied to a street lamp. He woke up the bookseller and bought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-limbour/the-actor-noticing-a-closed-bookshop-dismounted-from-the-horse-which/) [Georges Limbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-limbour/) > [“Under ordinary circumstances, we learn to speak before we learn to read, and anyone who has tried to learn a foreign language knows that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kory-stamper/under-ordinary-circumstances-we-learn-to-speak-before-we-learn-to/) [Kory Stamper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kory-stamper/) > [I have a one-question language test that people who have lived abroad do better on than those who studied in a classroom. Try my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-kristof/i-have-a-one-question-language-test-that-people-who-have-lived-abroad/) [Nicholas Kristof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-kristof/) > [As the president of Kosovo, I am more concerned about the current situation with the employment standing at around 70 % of the population,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibrahim-rugova/as-the-president-of-kosovo-i-am-more-concerned-about-the-current/) [Ibrahim Rugova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibrahim-rugova/) > [The immense value of becoming acquainted with a foreign language is that we are thereby led into a new world of tradition and thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/havelock-ellis/the-immense-value-of-becoming-acquainted-with-a-foreign-language-is/) [Havelock Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/havelock-ellis/) > [Wer fremde Sprachen nicht kennt, weiss nichts von seiner eigenen.He who is ignorant of foreign languages, knows not his own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/wer-fremde-sprachen-nicht-kennt-weiss-nichts-von-seiner-eigenen-he/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“Hear me now or regret it later: Everything you write must be read aloud. Once all the context items are in place, this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiro-adachi/hear-me-now-or-regret-it-later-everything-you-write-must-be-read/) [Jiro Adachi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiro-adachi/) > [Columbia University, where I went to study in 1993, insisted its undergraduates learn a foreign language, so I discovered French.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aravind-adiga/columbia-university-where-i-went-to-study-in-1993-insisted-its/) [Aravind Adiga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aravind-adiga/) > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) [Ted Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/) ## More by John Steinbeck > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Prayer never brought in no side-meat. Takes a shoat to bring in pork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/prayer-never-brought-in-no-side-meat-takes-a-shoat-to-bring-in-pork/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“And now submarines are armed with mass murder, our silly, only way of deterring mass murder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/and-now-submarines-are-armed-with-mass-murder-our-silly-only-way-of/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“I’d think there are degrees of greatness,” Adam said. “I don’t think so,” said Samuel. “That would be like saying there is a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-d-think-there-are-degrees-of-greatness-adam-said-i-don-t-think-so/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“He was forever inventing a new way of doing an old thing and doing it better and quicker, but he never in his whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/he-was-forever-inventing-a-new-way-of-doing-an-old-thing-and-doing-it/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“You come back a changed man. Samuel, you don’t change him. He changes you. I can see the look of him in your face.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/you-come-back-a-changed-man-samuel-you-don-t-change-him-he-changes/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I find out of long experience that I admire all nations and hate all governments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-find-out-of-long-experience-that-i-admire-all-nations-and-hate-all/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [At about 10 o'clock in the morning the sun threw a bright dust-laden bar through one of the side windows and in and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/at-about-10-o-clock-in-the-morning-the-sun-threw-a-bright-dust-laden/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I have noticed that there is no dissatisfaction like that of the rich. Feed a man, clothe him, put him in a good house,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-have-noticed-that-there-is-no-dissatisfaction-like-that-of-the-rich/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“Who in his mind has not probe the dark water?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/who-in-his-mind-has-not-probe-the-dark-water/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Sometimes, a lie is told in kindness. I don't believe it ever works kindly. The quick pain of truth can pass away, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/sometimes-a-lie-is-told-in-kindness-i-don-t-believe-it-ever-works/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [People like you to be something, preferably what they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/people-like-you-to-be-something-preferably-what-they-are/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“Suddenly he knew joy and sorrow felted into one fabric. Courage and fear were one thing too. He found that he had started to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/suddenly-he-knew-joy-and-sorrow-felted-into-one-fabric-courage-and/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I am writing this from what we Americans call Yurrp. In Yurrp writers are taken as seriously as Lana Turner's legs are in America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-am-writing-this-from-what-we-americans-call-yurrp-in-yurrp-writers/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I write because I like to write. I find joy in the texture and tone and rhythm of words. It is a satisfaction like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-write-because-i-like-to-write-i-find-joy-in-the-texture-and-tone/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) [Explore all 1,589 John Steinbeck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## More Democratic party quotes > [If Robert Heinlein is more to your taste than George Lucas: “If you are part of a society that votes, then do so. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-drum/if-robert-heinlein-is-more-to-your-taste-than-george-lucas-if-you-are/) [Kevin Drum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-drum/) > [But I don't think the Democratic Party is at eye level with the middle class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-i-don-t-think-the-democratic-party-is-at-eye-level-with-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The coronavirus has yet again exposed the strong contrast between President Trump - who is working ardently for the American people - and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayleigh-mcenany/the-coronavirus-has-yet-again-exposed-the-strong-contrast-between/) [Kayleigh McEnany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kayleigh-mcenany/) > [The Democratic Party is DEAD.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/the-democratic-party-is-dead/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [the Republicans love to say that the Democratic Party is ruled by 'special interests.' But when pressed to name these 'special interests,' the usual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-ferraro/the-republicans-love-to-say-that-the-democratic-party-is-ruled-by/) [Geraldine Ferraro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-ferraro/) > [There's nothing wrong with the Democratic Party that talks more about - and more loudly about - jobs, and cutting red tape, and bureaucracy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/there-s-nothing-wrong-with-the-democratic-party-that-talks-more-about/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [“Violence isn't a Democrat or Republican problem. It's an American problem, requiring an American solution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/violence-isn-t-a-democrat-or-republican-problem-it-s-an-american/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [I have no problem if you want to be a socialist. But for those people who are in the middle, you know, I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/i-have-no-problem-if-you-want-to-be-a-socialist-but-for-those-people/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [ I think \[ chief organizer of the Democratic Party \] it's something that I have an interest in. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-chief-organizer-of-the-democratic-party-it-s-something-that-i/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The Democratic Party takes huge amounts of cash from corporations and unions to vote a certain way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cenk-uygur/the-democratic-party-takes-huge-amounts-of-cash-from-corporations-and/) [Cenk Uygur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cenk-uygur/) > [The Democratic Party, the policies that the Clintons and Hillary believe in, I feel like a living example of someone who benefited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neera-tanden/the-democratic-party-the-policies-that-the-clintons-and-hillary/) [Neera Tanden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neera-tanden/) > [“was my first indication that the policies of Mamaw’s “party of the working man”—the Democrats—weren’t all they were cracked up to be. Political scientists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance/was-my-first-indication-that-the-policies-of-mamaw-s-party-of-the/) [J.D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance/) > [I also believe that we have to protect our country and lead the world with strength and steadiness, and we have to unify our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-also-believe-that-we-have-to-protect-our-country-and-lead-the-world/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [The Democratic party of Florida has put a temperance plank in its platform and the Republican party of every state would nail that plank…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/the-democratic-party-of-florida-has-put-a-temperance-plank-in-its/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [The whole new Democratic Party is the old Republican Party. We have a whole bunch of elephants running around in donkey's clothes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-novak/the-whole-new-democratic-party-is-the-old-republican-party-we-have-a/) [Robert Novak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-novak/) [Browse all 666 Democratic party quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic-party/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Her father was frightened by a strange bed or a foreign language or a political party he didn't belong to. Her father truly believed that the Democratic party was a subversive organization whose design would destroy the United States and put it in the hands of bearded communists.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Steinbeck" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/her-father-was-frightened-by-a-strange-bed-or-a-foreign-language-or-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Democratic party" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/her-father-was-frightened-by-a-strange-bed-or-a-foreign-language-or-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35c/john-steinbeck-71_democratic-party_her-father-was-frightened-by-a-strange-b_3064153.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35c/john-steinbeck-71_democratic-party_her-father-was-frightened-by-a-strange-b_3064153.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35c/john-steinbeck-71_democratic-party_her-father-was-frightened-by-a-strange-b_3064153.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Her father was frightened by a strange bed or a foreign language or a political party he didn't belong to…” — John Steinbeck", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Steinbeck", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Her father was frightened by a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/her-father-was-frightened-by-a-strange-bed-or-a-foreign-language-or-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/her-father-was-frightened-by-a-strange-bed-or-a-foreign-language-or-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```