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Only in America, Rabbi Golden, do these peasants, our mothers, get their hair dyed platinum at the age of sixty, and walk up and down Collins Avenue in Florida in pedalpushers and mink stoles - and with opinions on every subject under the sun. It isn't their fault they were given a gift like speech - look, if cows could talk, they would say things just as idiotic.

Philip Roth#12

HumorAppearanceSpeechStereotypesStyle

About this quote

What does it mean?
The speaker mocks older American women for loud fashion and opinions, comparing them to talkative animals.
In plain terms
Some older women dress brightly and speak loudly, like animals who would talk if they could.
What can you take from it?
Style and speech can invite mockery as much as admiration.

Where it applies

  • family gatherings
  • public observation
  • satire

Putting it to work

  • avoid snap judgments
  • recognize humor

Questions to consider

  • Are stereotypes useful?
  • How do we judge appearances?

Another view

The comment relies on generalizations that may not be fair.

More from Philip Roth

  1. My God! The English language is a form of communication! Conversation isn't just crossfire where you shoot and get shot at! Where you've got to duck for your l…

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  2. I am thirteen. At long last, not a cored apple. Not an empty milk bottle greased with vaseline, but a girl in a slip, with two tits and a cunt -and a mustache,…

    Permalink to quote #13
  3. It's a family joke that when I was a tiny child I turned from the window out of which I was watching a snowstorm, and hopefully asked, 'Momma, do we believe in…

    Permalink to quote #10

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