19th century Quote by Marina Warner
“I think that a true economics thinker or a Marxist thinker would make nonsense of my argument, although I have given massive seminars and no one has demolished it so far. I did think that this idea from an artisanal and trading perception of the auratic quality of goods when they are given character and inscription, made the stories of phantasmic wealth read more powerfully in the 18th and 19th centuries than the stories of Cinderella's wealth, because they are conjured out of nothing by these magic means.”
About This Quote
Source Book: From the Beast to the Blonde, 1995
Economic thinkers dismiss narratives that attribute value to symbolic qualities, yet such stories shaped wealth perception in the 18th‑19th centuries more than literal riches.
In simple terms: Stories of symbolic value shaped historic wealth ideas.
Key Takeaway
Acknowledge symbolic narratives in economics.
Themes
economics
culture
symbolism
wealth
history
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
cultural
economic
When to use this quote
- historical analysis
- literary criticism
- economic theory
Key Concepts
auratic quality
mythic wealth
cultural narratives
Questions to Reflect On
- How do modern markets use symbolic value?
- What narratives drive today’s wealth perception?
A Different Perspective
May overgeneralize across periods and cultures.
![“. . . Luddites were those frenzied traditionalists of the early 19th century who toured [England] wrecking new weaving machines on the theory that if they were destroyed . . . old jobs and old ways of life could be preserved . . . At certain times in his life each man is tempted to become a…” quote by James A. Michener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/182/james-a-michener-1627_19th-century_luddites-were-those-frenzied-traditional_76909.jpg)
