--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As if the ray which travels from the sun…" description: "\"As if the ray which travels from the sun would reach me sooner than the man who blacks my boots.\" — William Makepeace Thackeray" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_boots_as-if-the-ray-which-travels-from-the-sun_1788020.jpg" --- # As if the ray which travels from the sun would reach me… ![“As if the ray which travels from the sun would reach me sooner than the man who blacks my boots.” quote by William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_boots_as-if-the-ray-which-travels-from-the-sun_1788020.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_boots_as-if-the-ray-which-travels-from-the-sun_1788020.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_boots_as-if-the-ray-which-travels-from-the-sun_1788020.jpg) > “As if the ray which travels from the sun would reach me sooner than the man who blacks my boots.” [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He poetically compares the sun's rays reaching him before a man who blackens his boots, implying a longing for brighter prospects. **In simple terms:** He wishes the sun reaches him before his oppressor. Key Takeaway Seek brighter opportunities despite oppression. Themes class aspiration light oppression hope Mood hopeful reflective Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career advancement - social reform - personal development - education initiatives Key Concepts social mobility metaphor optimism resilience Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to improve your circumstances? - How does optimism affect action? A Different Perspective Hope may be unrealistic without structural change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boots/) [Equality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equality/) [He man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/he-man/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Ray Travels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ray-travels-1920999/) [Rays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rays/) [Reach Sooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reach-sooner-1920997/) [Sooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sooner/) [Sooner Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sooner-man-1921000/) [Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sun/) [Travels Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travels-sun-1920998/) ## Related quotes > [He who travels west travels not only with the sun but with history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-borland/he-who-travels-west-travels-not-only-with-the-sun-but-with-history/) [Hal Borland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-borland/) > [“If I known it would be like this, I would have taken you sooner.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-skaggs/if-i-known-it-would-be-like-this-i-would-have-taken-you-sooner/) [Cindy Skaggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-skaggs/) > [The natural urge when running a distance is to push harder and finish sooner - to race against time. 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Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) ## More by William Makepeace Thackeray > [“To those great geniuses now in petticoats, who shall write novels for the beloved reader's children, these men and things will be as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/to-those-great-geniuses-now-in-petticoats-who-shall-write-novels-for/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Let a man who has to make his fortune in life remember this maxim: Attacking is the only secret. 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Surely they can not separate from our consciousness, shall follow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/our-great-thoughts-our-great-affections-the-truths-of-our-life-never/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Charming Alnaschar visions! it is the happy privilege of youth to construct you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/charming-alnaschar-visions-it-is-the-happy-privilege-of-youth-to/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [To see a young couple loving each other is no wonder; but to see an old couple loving each other is the best sight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/to-see-a-young-couple-loving-each-other-is-no-wonder-but-to-see-an/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [An immense percentage of snobs, I believe, is to be found in every rank of this mortal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/an-immense-percentage-of-snobs-i-believe-is-to-be-found-in-every-rank/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Vanity is often the unseen spur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/vanity-is-often-the-unseen-spur/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [A good laugh is sunshine in the house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/a-good-laugh-is-sunshine-in-the-house/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Novelty has charms that our minds can hardly withstand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/novelty-has-charms-that-our-minds-can-hardly-withstand/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [“Picture to yourself, O fair young reader, a worldly, selfish, graceless, thankless, religionless old woman, writhing in pain and fear, and without her wig.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/picture-to-yourself-o-fair-young-reader-a-worldly-selfish-graceless/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Certain opuscules, denominated 'Christmas Books,' with the ostensible intention of swelling the tide of exhilaration, or other expansive emotions, incident upon the exodus of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/certain-opuscules-denominated-christmas-books-with-the-ostensible/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) [Explore all 384 William Makepeace Thackeray quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) ## More Boots quotes > [“I hate the way you talk to me And the way you cut your hair I hate the way you drive my car I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-hate-the-way-you-talk-to-me-and-the-way-you-cut-your-hair-i-hate/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [Personally, I don't really have a set style or look. It's pretty much what I feel like wearing that day, from a floral-print dress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shay-mitchell/personally-i-don-t-really-have-a-set-style-or-look-it-s-pretty-much/) [Shay Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shay-mitchell/) > [“The hiking boots the outdoor adventure magazine sent me to buy - large, ungainly potato like things that I have been trying to break…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rakoff/the-hiking-boots-the-outdoor-adventure-magazine-sent-me-to-buy-large/) [david rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rakoff/) > [Stop trying to treat music like it's a tennis shoe, something to be branded. If the music industry wants to save money, they should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/stop-trying-to-treat-music-like-it-s-a-tennis-shoe-something-to-be/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [We did rent some houses in different hub cities which made it that we weren't in hotels all the time. But we're on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-fisher/we-did-rent-some-houses-in-different-hub-cities-which-made-it-that-we/) [Mike Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-fisher/) > [He won't, won't he? Then bring me my boots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-harris-barham/he-won-t-won-t-he-then-bring-me-my-boots/) [Richard Harris Barham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-harris-barham/) > [I've always got such high expectations for myself. I'm aware of them, but I can't relax them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-decker/i-ve-always-got-such-high-expectations-for-myself-i-m-aware-of-them/) [Mary Decker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-decker/) > [“You can't judge a book by its steel-toed combat boots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/you-can-t-judge-a-book-by-its-steel-toed-combat-boots/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“He felt more human with his boots on. 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