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About this quote

What does it mean?
Shaw sarcastically claims England's strength comes from its citizens being socially status-obsessed.
In plain terms
England is strong because its people care too much about social rank.
What can you take from it?
National strength can be built on conformity and status.

Where it applies

  • political speech
  • social critique
  • cultural analysis

Putting it to work

  • analyze national traits
  • discuss social climbing

Questions to consider

  • What defines a nation's strength?
  • Is snobbery a weakness?

Another view

It generalizes an entire population with a single trait.

More from George Bernard Shaw

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  3. Home life as we understand it is no more natural to us than a cage is natural to a cockatoo.

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