Clothing Quote by Mary Rose O'Reilley
““I cleaned the shit off my pink high-tops and drove home, stopping for an espresso at the coffeehouse across from the college. Men and women were hunched over copies of Jean Paul Sartre and writing in their journals. Most wore the thin-rimmed tortoiseshell glasses favored by intellectuals. Their clothes were faded to a precisely fashionable degree; you can buy them that way from catalogs now, new clothes processed to look old. The intellectuals looked at me in my overalls the way such people inevitably look at farmers. I dumped a lot of sugar in my espresso and sipped it delicately at a corner table near the door. I looked at them the way farmers look at intellectuals.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Secret History of the World, 2022
A narrator contrasts the gritty reality of a farmer with the curated aesthetic of intellectuals, highlighting class and cultural divides.
In simple terms: Class differences are shown through fashion and attitudes.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and bridge social gaps.
Themes
class
culture
identity
perception
fashion
Mood
reflective
observational
critical
Type
social commentary
observational
When to use this quote
- college campus
- coffee shop
- urban setting
- social observation
Key Concepts
sociology
classism
authenticity
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you perceive people from different social groups?
- What assumptions do you make based on appearance?
A Different Perspective
The perspective may romanticize the farmer stereotype.
![“Just after the war, the liberation of 1945, [Albert] Camus was well known, well loved by [Jean-Paul ] Sartre and all the intellectuals of that generation.” quote by Catherine Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6ac/catherine-camus-12238_freedom_just-after-the-war-the-liberation-of-194_764874.jpg)
![“I always remind myself that [ Jean-Paul] Sartre and [Simone] de Beauvoir didn't have children. And when you don't have children, it might be easier to believe that the child doesn't come with something.” quote by Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c3f/zadie-smith-584_believe_i-always-remind-myself-that-jean-paul-sa_316002.jpg)
