City life Quote by Robertson Davies
““Once it was the fashion to represent villages as places inhabited by laughable, livable simpletons, unspotted by the worldliness of city life, though occasionally shrewd in rural concerns. Later it was the popular thing to show villages as rotten with vice, and especially such sexual vice...incest, sodomy, bestiality, sadism, and masochism were supposed to rage behind lace curtains and in the haylofts, while a rigid piety was professed in the streets.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Fifth Business, 1970
The portrayal of rural life shifted from naive simplicity to exaggerated moral decay, reflecting societal anxieties about sexuality and hypocrisy.
In simple terms: Villages went from simple to scandalous in stories.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how stereotypes shape perception.
Themes
stereotypes
urban vs rural
morality
sexuality
hypocrisy
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
analytical
commentary
When to use this quote
- historical fiction
- cultural studies
- media criticism
Key Concepts
social critique
literary analysis
Questions to Reflect On
- How do modern media portray rural communities?
- What impact do these stereotypes have on policy?
A Different Perspective
Such depictions can reinforce prejudice and ignore real rural diversity.
