America Quote by Jonathan Safran Foer
““It is best if the guard is in love with America and wants to overawe the American by being a premium guard. This kind of guard thinks that he will encounter the American again one day in America, and that the American will offer to take him to a Chicago Bulls game, and buy him blue jeans and white bread and delicate toilet paper. This guard dreams of speaking English without an accent and obtaining a wife with an unmalleable bosom. This guard will confess that he does not love where he lives. The other kind of guard is also in love with America, but he will hate the American for being an American. This is worst. This guard knows he will never go to America, and knows that he will never meet the American again. He will steal from the American, and terror the American, only to teach that he can.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, 2005
A guard's love for America can become either aspirational or resentful, leading to either hopeful ambition or destructive hatred.
In simple terms: Love can inspire hope or fuel hate.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how admiration can turn to resentment.
Themes
identity
nationalism
ambition
resentment
power
Mood
conflicted
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- immigration hopes
- career aspirations
- cultural assimilation
- political activism
Key Concepts
American Dream
colonial mindset
psychology of envy
Questions to Reflect On
- What drives admiration to turn into hatred?
- How can one channel love for a culture without resentment?
A Different Perspective
The guard's fantasies may ignore systemic barriers and personal agency.
![“I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. [salutes]” quote by Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3d2/bill-hicks-970_america_i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumor_655.jpg)
