The love I felt for her on that train ride had a capital and provinces, parishes and a Vatican, an orange planet and many sullen moons -- it was systemic and it was complete.
Gary ShteyngartRead
In a strange way, I expected Russia to become more like America since the Soviet Union collapsed, but the reverse is true. America has become more like Russia: a kleptocratic society.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the unexpected shift in societal values between America and Russia following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Gary Shteyngart's quote suggests a paradoxical observation where one would assume that with the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia would adopt more Western democratic and capitalist ideals. However, he argues that America has increasingly mirrored the corrupt, kleptocratic elements of Russian society, indicating a decline in American political and ethical standards.
Themes
SocietyCorruptionValuesPoliticsAmericaRussia
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about changing political climates, one might refer to this quote to illustrate unexpected shifts in societal values.
More from Gary Shteyngart
All quotes →My hair would continue to gray, and then one day, it would fall out entirely, and then, on a day meaninglessly close to the present one, meaninglessly like the present one, I would disappear from the earth. And all these emotions, all these yearnings, all these data, if that helps to clinch the enormity of what I'm talking about, would be gone. And that's what immortality means. It means selfishness. My generations belief that each one of us matters more than you or anyone else would think.
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In contravention of my belief that any life ending in death is essentially pointless, I needed my friends to open up that plastic bag and take one last look at me. Someone had to remember me, if only for a few more minutes in the vast silent waiting room of time.
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That's what tyrants do, I guess. They make you covet their attention; they make you confuse attention for mercy.
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When civilization takes a nose dive, how can you look away? You've got to be there. You've got to be at the bottom of the swimming pool taking notes.
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Every returning New Yorker asks the question: Is this still my city? I have a ready answer, cloaked in obstinate despair: It is. And if it's not, I will love it all the more. I will love it to the point where it becomes mine again.
Gary ShteyngartRead
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