There's life for you. Spend the best years of your life studying penmanship and rhetoric and syntax and Beowulf and George Eliot, and then somebody steals your pencil.
Dorothy ParkerRead
Oh, both my shoes are shiny new, And pristine is my hat My dress is 1922… My life is all like that.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects a sense of pride in one's appearance while hinting at a deeper commentary on the state of life.
In this quote by Dorothy Parker, the speaker expresses a superficial sense of joy and pride through their shiny new shoes and pristine hat, alongside the mention of a dated dress style from 1922. This juxtaposition suggests that while outward appearances might seem perfect, there could be an underlying emptiness or nostalgia, encapsulating a broader commentary on the complexities of life and the façade people often maintain.
Themes
AppearanceLifePrideNostalgiaSuperficial
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of inner worth over outward appearances, this quote serves as a reminder.
More from Dorothy Parker
All quotes →My land is bare of chattering folk; / the clouds are low along the ridges, / and sweet's the air with curly smoke / from all my burning bridges.
Dorothy ParkerRead
Prince or commoner, tenor or bass, Painter or plumber or never-do-well, Do me a favor and shut your face - Poets alone should kiss and tell.
Dorothy ParkerRead
They say of me, and so they should, It's doubtful if I come to good. I see acquaintances and friends Accumulating dividends And making enviable names In science, art and parlor games. But I, despite expert advice, Keep doing things I think are nice, And though to good I never come Inseparable my nose and thumb.
Dorothy ParkerRead
It is that word 'hunny,' my darlings, that marks the first place in The House at Pooh Corner at which Tonstant Weader fwowed up.
Dorothy ParkerRead
I can’t write five words but that I change seven.
Dorothy ParkerRead
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