“ Everything in a people that is not genuine, not its own by origin or development, is—well—dirt! ”
Joseph Conrad, Under Western Eyes (1911). copy citation
| Author | Joseph Conrad |
|---|---|
| Source | Under Western Eyes |
| Topic | development origin |
| Date | 1911 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2480/2480-h/2480-h.htm |
Context
“On that it is impossible for us to disagree. The peasantry of a people is not the dregs; neither is its highest class—well—the nobility. Reflect on that, Kirylo Sidorovitch! I believe you are well fitted for reflection. Everything in a people that is not genuine, not its own by origin or development, is—well—dirt! Intelligence in the wrong place is that. Foreign-bred doctrines are that. Dirt! Dregs! The second thing I would offer to your meditation is this: that for us at this moment there yawns a chasm between the past and the future.”
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