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All-my-literary-ladies Quote by Saul Bellow

“She was cuckoo about dime stores, where she bought cosmetics and pins and combs. After we locked the expensive purchases in the station wagon we went into McCory's or Kresge's and were there by the hour, up and down the aisles with the multitude, mostly of women, and in the loud-played love music…” quote by Saul Bellow
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““She was cuckoo about dime stores, where she bought cosmetics and pins and combs. After we locked the expensive purchases in the station wagon we went into McCory's or Kresge's and were there by the hour, up and down the aisles with the multitude, mostly of women, and in the loud-played love music. Some things Thea liked to buy cheaply, they maybe gave her the best sense of the innermost relations of pennies and nickels and explained the real depth of money. I don't know. But I didn't think myself too good to be wandering in the dime store with her. I went where and as she said and did whatever she wanted because I was threaded to her as if through the skin. So that any trifling object she took pleasure in could become important to me at once; anything at all, a comb or hairpin or piece of line, a compass inside a tin ring that she bought with great satisfaction, or a green billed baseball cap for the road, or the kitten she kept in the apartment - she would never be anywhere without an animal.””

Saul Bellow

About This Quote

Source Novel: Humboldt's Gift by Saul Bellow, 1975

The narrator describes being deeply attached to a partner’s simple pleasures, feeling that even trivial items become meaningful through shared experience.

In simple terms: Small things feel important when shared with a loved one.

Key Takeaway

Value everyday moments with loved ones.

Themes

attachment materialism intimacy memory consumer culture

Mood

nostalgic reflective affectionate

Type

literary observational personal

When to use this quote

  • shopping trips
  • shared hobbies
  • daily routines
  • gift giving
  • collecting memorabilia

Key Concepts

psychology social bonding symbolism

Questions to Reflect On

  • What everyday objects deepen your connection with others?
  • How does shared consumerism affect relationship intimacy?
A Different Perspective

May overlook deeper emotional needs by focusing on material objects.

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