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Dreams coming true Quote by Robert Darnton

“To eat one's fill, eat until the exhaustion of the appetite, was the principal pleasure that the peasants dangled before their imagination, and one that they rarely realized in their lives. They [the peasants] also imagined other dreams coming true, including the standard run of castles and…” quote by Robert Darnton
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““To eat one's fill, eat until the exhaustion of the appetite, was the principal pleasure that the peasants dangled before their imagination, and one that they rarely realized in their lives. They [the peasants] also imagined other dreams coming true, including the standard run of castles and princesses. But their wishes usually remained fixed on common objects in the everyday world. One hero gets "a cow and some chickens"; another, an armoire full of linens. A third settles for light work, regular meals, and a pipe full of tobacco. And when gold rains into the fireplace of a fourth, he uses it to buy "food, clothes, a horse, land." In most of the tales, wish fulfillment turns into a program for survival, not a fantasy of escape. ””

Robert Darnton

About This Quote

Peasants' simple desires dominate their imagination, showing that ordinary needs often outweigh grand fantasies.

In simple terms: Simple needs dominate imagination.

Key Takeaway

Value everyday needs.

Themes

desire contentment imagination

Mood

analytical observational

Type

sociological critical

When to use this quote

  • poverty
  • rural life
  • aspirations
  • survival

Key Concepts

sociology economics

Questions to Reflect On

  • Why do people cling to modest goals?
  • What limits grand dreams?
A Different Perspective

May overlook deeper aspirations.

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