California is a tragic country - like Palestine, like every Promised Land. Its short history is a fever-chart of migrations - the land rush, the gold rush, the oil rush, the movie rush, the Okie fruit-picking rush, the wartime rush to the aircraft factories - followed, in each instance, by counter-migrations of the disappointed and unsuccessful, moving sorrowfully homeward.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The quote portrays California as a land of hopeful migration followed by inevitable disappointment, comparing it to other promised lands that fail to deliver.
- In plain terms
- California attracts many with dreams but leaves many disappointed when reality fails.
- What can you take from it?
- Many promised lands attract seekers but rarely satisfy their dreams.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why do people keep moving to promised lands?
- What defines a successful migration?
Another view
The quote generalizes the experience of millions of diverse individuals.
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