Age Quote by Rheta Childe Dorr
“At a tender age, I commandeered half a quire of foolscap from my father's desk and sat down to write a book. ...I had observed onprinted fly leaves the words "By the author of, etc." ...So under the title of my prospective work I wrote: By the author of "Les Miserables," "The Woman in White," "Dombey and Son," "Tom Brown's Schooldays" and "Our Life in the Highlands," the last-named being an opus of good Queen Victoria. I had not read all these works but they existed on our bookshelves, and I hoped to produce something worthy of comparison.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: Unpublished autobiographical sketch, early 20th century
The author humorously claimed literary lineage by listing famous works he hadn't read, aiming to set high expectations for his own writing.
In simple terms: He pretended to be the author of many classics to impress.
Key Takeaway
Be honest about your influences.
Themes
humor
ambition
literary imitation
Mood
playful
self‑critical
Type
anecdotal
satirical
When to use this quote
- writing a novel
- seeking publication
- marketing oneself
- building credibility
Key Concepts
self‑presentation
aspiration
identity construction
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you think exaggerating credentials helps or harms credibility?
- How would you feel if your work was judged against unwarranted standards?
A Different Perspective
The claim may backfire if readers discover the deception.
![“The theory [before the twentieth century] ... was that all the jobs in the world belonged by right to men, and that only men were by nature entitled to wages. If a woman earned money, outside domestic service, it was because some misfortune had deprived her of masculine protection.” quote by Rheta Childe Dorr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/01c/rheta-childe-dorr-37217_century_the-theory-before-the-twentieth-century_2223271.jpg)
