Country Quote by Margaret Atwood
“Foreignness is all around. Only in the heart of the heart of the country, namely the heart of the United States, can you avoid such a thing. In the center of an empire, you can think of your experience as universal. Outside the empire or on the fringes of the empire, you cannot.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Penelopiad, Margaret Atwood, 2005
Being at the center of a dominant culture makes its norms feel universal, while peripheral perspectives reveal their particularity.
In simple terms: Center feels universal; edges reveal difference.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and value diverse viewpoints.
Themes
culture
identity
center-periphery
universality
otherness
Mood
reflective
critical
thoughtful
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- travel
- immigration
- education
- media analysis
- policy making
Key Concepts
hegemony
relativism
perspective
Questions to Reflect On
- How does your position shape what you consider 'normal'?
- What can be learned from marginal voices?
A Different Perspective
Even central cultures can be blind to their own biases.
![“That country [Carthage] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws; and every step of intestine discord was marked by some deplorable victory of savage man over civilized society.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/70c/edward-gibbon-710_barbarism_that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinkin_393.jpg)
