--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Saeed quickly found employment at a…" description: "\"Saeed quickly found employment at a Banana Republic, where he would sell to urban sophisticates the black turtleneck of the season, in a shop whose nam..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4db/kiran-desai-11507_bananas_saeed-quickly-found-employment-at-a-bana_2019200.jpg" --- # Saeed quickly found employment at a Banana Republic, where… ![“Saeed quickly found employment at a Banana Republic, where he would sell to urban sophisticates the black turtleneck of the season, in a shop whose name was synonymous with colonial exploitation and the rapacious ruin of the third world.” quote by Kiran Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4db/kiran-desai-11507_bananas_saeed-quickly-found-employment-at-a-bana_2019200.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4db/kiran-desai-11507_bananas_saeed-quickly-found-employment-at-a-bana_2019200.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4db/kiran-desai-11507_bananas_saeed-quickly-found-employment-at-a-bana_2019200.jpg) > “Saeed quickly found employment at a Banana Republic, where he would sell to urban sophisticates the black turtleneck of the season, in a shop whose name was synonymous with colonial exploitation and the rapacious ruin of the third world.” [Kiran Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-desai/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A young man works for a brand symbolizing colonial exploitation, highlighting personal complicity in global inequities. **In simple terms:** Working for a colonial brand shows personal involvement in exploitation. Key Takeaway Question the ethics of employment tied to oppressive histories. Themes colonialism consumerism identity global inequality Mood thoughtful critical Type literary social commentary When to use this quote - fashion industry - retail jobs - global supply chains - personal career choices Key Concepts Moral complicity economic survival Questions to Reflect On - Do you consider a company's history before buying? - How can individuals resist complicity? A Different Perspective Economic necessity can mask ethical concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Employment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employment/) [Exploitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exploitation/) [Republic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republic/) [Ruins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruins/) [Third world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/third-world/) [Turtlenecks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turtlenecks/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Los Estados Unidos has turned into a banana republic, a fascist banana republic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-celente/los-estados-unidos-has-turned-into-a-banana-republic-a-fascist-banana/) [Gerald Celente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-celente/) > [This is America, not a banana republic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-bugliosi/this-is-america-not-a-banana-republic/) [Vincent Bugliosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-bugliosi/) > [Honduras was the original 'banana republic,' and its poverty remains extreme.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/honduras-was-the-original-banana-republic-and-its-poverty-remains/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Painful as it may be to hear it, there's nothing special about the people of this country that sets them apart from the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-beresford-hope/painful-as-it-may-be-to-hear-it-there-s-nothing-special-about-the/) Alexander Beresford Hope > [In a banana republic, one might slip on a banana peel but things do work - now and then for the people, albeit inefficiently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-ayittey/in-a-banana-republic-one-might-slip-on-a-banana-peel-but-things-do/) [George Ayittey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-ayittey/) > [Someone recently pointed out how much Barack Obama's style and strategies resemble those of Latin American charismatic despots - the takeover of industries by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/someone-recently-pointed-out-how-much-barack-obama-s-style-and/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [We are well on our way to becoming a banana republic in every respect except, of course, that we don't grow bananas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-prelutsky/we-are-well-on-our-way-to-becoming-a-banana-republic-in-every-respect/) [Burt Prelutsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-prelutsky/) > [In the same way that we today think that the slave trade and colonial exploitation were inhuman and inconceivably bestial ways of acquiring riches,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-dammann/in-the-same-way-that-we-today-think-that-the-slave-trade-and-colonial/) Erik Dammann > [“As if to show the totalitarian character of colonial exploitation the settler paints the native as a sort of quintessence of evil”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-if-to-show-the-totalitarian-character-of-colonial-exploitation-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Sapiens by contrast is more like a banana republic dictator. Having”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/sapiens-by-contrast-is-more-like-a-banana-republic-dictator-having/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [A banana republic we are not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-regan/a-banana-republic-we-are-not/) [Trish Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-regan/) > [As far as I'm concerned, when the Queen, who we all love very much, is finished with her reign then Britain should go and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/as-far-as-i-m-concerned-when-the-queen-who-we-all-love-very-much-is/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [We are not a banana republic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-c-o-brien/we-are-not-a-banana-republic/) [Robert C. O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-c-o-brien/) > [And I don't want my assets to be stuck inside a banana republic in the midst of a huge socialist experiment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/porter-stansberry/and-i-don-t-want-my-assets-to-be-stuck-inside-a-banana-republic-in/) [Porter Stansberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/porter-stansberry/) > [Who would have thought we'd end up like a South American banana republic - and that's what worried me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-hoyle/who-would-have-thought-we-d-end-up-like-a-south-american-banana/) [Lindsay Hoyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsay-hoyle/) ## More by Kiran Desai > [“How could anything be the same? The red of blood lay over the market road in slick pools mingled with a yellow spread of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-desai/how-could-anything-be-the-same-the-red-of-blood-lay-over-the-market/) [Kiran Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-desai/) > [When I was growing up the publishing world seemed so far away. When my mother wrote a book, she would look up the address…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-desai/when-i-was-growing-up-the-publishing-world-seemed-so-far-away-when-my/) [Kiran Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-desai/) > [“Year by year, his life wasn't amounting to anything at all...And yet, another part of him had expanded: his self-consciousness, his self-pity -- oh,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-desai/year-by-year-his-life-wasn-t-amounting-to-anything-at-all-and-yet/) [Kiran Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-desai/) > [Why couldn't she be part of that family? rent a room in someone else's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-desai/why-couldn-t-she-be-part-of-that-family-rent-a-room-in-someone-else-s/) [Kiran Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-desai/) > [In India, if you are from the elite, dogs are extremely important. The breed of the dog indicates your wealth, that you are westernized.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-desai/in-india-if-you-are-from-the-elite-dogs-are-extremely-important-the/) [Kiran Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-desai/) > [I don't think you can write according to a set of rules and laws; every writer is so different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-desai/i-don-t-think-you-can-write-according-to-a-set-of-rules-and-laws/) [Kiran Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-desai/) > [A man wasn't equal to an animal, not one particle of him. Human life was stinking corrupt, and meanwhile there were beautiful creatures who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-desai/a-man-wasn-t-equal-to-an-animal-not-one-particle-of-him-human-life/) [Kiran Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-desai/) > [“But the child shouldn't be blamed for the father's crime, she tried to reason with herself, then. But should the child therefore also enjoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-desai/but-the-child-shouldn-t-be-blamed-for-the-father-s-crime-she-tried-to/) [Kiran Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-desai/) > [“Biju stepped out of the airport into the Calcutta night, warm, mammalian. His feet sank into dust winnowed to softness at his feet, ad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-desai/biju-stepped-out-of-the-airport-into-the-calcutta-night-warm/) [Kiran Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-desai/) > [Writing, for me, means humility. It’s a process that involves fear and doubt, especially if you’re writing honestly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-desai/writing-for-me-means-humility-it-s-a-process-that-involves-fear-and/) [Kiran Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-desai/) > [“That very afternoon the police arrived at Cho Oyu in a line of toad-colored jeeps that appeared through the moving static of a small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-desai/that-very-afternoon-the-police-arrived-at-cho-oyu-in-a-line-of-toad/) [Kiran Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-desai/) > [The publishing world is very timid. Readers are much braver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-desai/the-publishing-world-is-very-timid-readers-are-much-braver/) [Kiran Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-desai/) > [“The judge got down on his knees, and he prayed to God, he, Jemubhai Popatlal the agnostic, who had made a long hard journey…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-desai/the-judge-got-down-on-his-knees-and-he-prayed-to-god-he-jemubhai/) [Kiran Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-desai/) > [New York is a lovely city. It is an easy city to go back to and an easy city to leave. Every time I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-desai/new-york-is-a-lovely-city-it-is-an-easy-city-to-go-back-to-and-an/) [Kiran Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-desai/) > [She'd have to propel herself into the future by whatever means possible or she'd be trapped forever in a place whose times had already…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-desai/she-d-have-to-propel-herself-into-the-future-by-whatever-means/) [Kiran Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-desai/) [Explore all 59 Kiran Desai quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-desai/) ## More Bananas quotes > ['When you slip on a banana peel, people laugh at you. When you tell people you slipped on a banana peel, it's your laugh.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/when-you-slip-on-a-banana-peel-people-laugh-at-you-when-you-tell/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [It doesn't matter to me where Barack Obama goes. If he wants to go to Hawaii because it's his home state, fine! Hunky-dory. Plastic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/it-doesn-t-matter-to-me-where-barack-obama-goes-if-he-wants-to-go-to/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Hey, maybe instead of going to college, you should drop out and I could quit my job and we can form an all-girl band…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-palladino/hey-maybe-instead-of-going-to-college-you-should-drop-out-and-i-could/) Daniel Palladino > [“The banana flavour of his accidental conception, and the banana theme of his accidental death, now all seemed to conspire against him and rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-conrad/the-banana-flavour-of-his-accidental-conception-and-the-banana-theme/) [Tom Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-conrad/) > [While it's true that you may lose your religion during the course of a lifetime, you never lose your salvation. Once you let Jesus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathleen-falsani/while-it-s-true-that-you-may-lose-your-religion-during-the-course-of/) [Cathleen Falsani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathleen-falsani/) > [We had an abundance of mangoes, papaias and bananas here, but the pride of the islands, the most delicious fruit known to men, cherimoya,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/we-had-an-abundance-of-mangoes-papaias-and-bananas-here-but-the-pride/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Everything goes with short hair. It's bananas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginnifer-goodwin/everything-goes-with-short-hair-it-s-bananas/) [Ginnifer Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginnifer-goodwin/) > [From cheesecake on a stick to meat skewers to deep-fried bananas on a stick - there are no plates anymore. In Los Angeles, everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/from-cheesecake-on-a-stick-to-meat-skewers-to-deep-fried-bananas-on-a/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [Los Estados Unidos has turned into a banana republic, a fascist banana republic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-celente/los-estados-unidos-has-turned-into-a-banana-republic-a-fascist-banana/) [Gerald Celente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-celente/) > [A Tom Ford three-piece makes you feel so confident, it's bananas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwyane-wade/a-tom-ford-three-piece-makes-you-feel-so-confident-it-s-bananas/) [Dwyane Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwyane-wade/) > [With an animated show you can make a banana purple. You can put three hats on a cowboy. That would require several days of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-harmon/with-an-animated-show-you-can-make-a-banana-purple-you-can-put-three/) [Dan Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-harmon/) > [I ate two waffles, a banana and cereal with blueberries. And that whas between my two breakfasts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/i-ate-two-waffles-a-banana-and-cereal-with-blueberries-and-that-whas/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [In Puerto Rico, we have a lot of traditions. We eat a very typical thing that's called 'pasteles' - it's almost like a tamale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-giraud/in-puerto-rico-we-have-a-lot-of-traditions-we-eat-a-very-typical/) [Joyce Giraud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-giraud/) > [look, you know i don't wanna come on ungrateful, but that warren report, you know as well as me, just didn't make it. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/look-you-know-i-don-t-wanna-come-on-ungrateful-but-that-warren-report/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Starting Monday, 7-11 will begin testing a new plastic wrap designed to keep bananas yellow and firm for five days. Though if your banana…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-meyers/starting-monday-7-11-will-begin-testing-a-new-plastic-wrap-designed/) [Seth Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-meyers/) Browse all 323 Bananas quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Saeed quickly found employment at a Banana Republic, where he would sell to urban sophisticates the black turtleneck of the season, in a shop whose name was synonymous with colonial exploitation and the rapacious ruin of the third world.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kiran Desai" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-desai/saeed-quickly-found-employment-at-a-banana-republic-where-he-would/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bananas" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-desai/saeed-quickly-found-employment-at-a-banana-republic-where-he-would/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4db/kiran-desai-11507_bananas_saeed-quickly-found-employment-at-a-bana_2019200.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4db/kiran-desai-11507_bananas_saeed-quickly-found-employment-at-a-bana_2019200.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4db/kiran-desai-11507_bananas_saeed-quickly-found-employment-at-a-bana_2019200.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Saeed quickly found employment at a Banana Republic, where he would sell to urban sophisticates the black…” — Kiran Desai", "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": "Kiran Desai", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-desai/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Saeed quickly found employment at a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-desai/saeed-quickly-found-employment-at-a-banana-republic-where-he-would/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-desai/saeed-quickly-found-employment-at-a-banana-republic-where-he-would/#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 } } ] } ```