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About this quote

What does it mean?
Thurber humorously describes a student who is average intelligence struggling with academic requirements.
In plain terms
He was not very smart, so keeping up with studies was hard.
What can you take from it?
Average intelligence makes academic compliance difficult.

Where it applies

  • school settings
  • comedy writing
  • student struggles

Putting it to work

  • writing humor
  • describing students
  • discussing grades

Questions to consider

  • What defines intelligence?
  • Should school be harder?

Another view

It relies on a negative stereotype of intelligence.

More from James Thurber

  1. Her own mother lived the latter years of her life in the horrible suspicion that electricity was dripping invisibly all over the house.

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  2. I do not have a psychiatrist and I do not want one, for the simple reason that if he listened to me long enough, he might become disturbed.

    Permalink to quote #34
  3. If I have sometimes seemed to make fun of Woman, I assure you it has only been for the purpose of egging her on.

    Permalink to quote #31

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