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Quote by Zadie Smith

Work

White Teeth

A satirical and poignant narrative following the lives of two families from different ethnic backgrounds, spanning several decades and illustrating the complexities of cultural integration and individual identity in modern society. more

Author

Zadie Smith
Zadie Smith

Zadie Smith is a British novelist known for her distinctive literary style and profound social insights. Her works cover a range of themes including race, class, gender, and identity, and have been widely appreciated by readers. more

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“It is all very well, in these changing times, to adapt one's work to take in duties not traditionally within one's realm; but bantering is of another dimension altogether. For one thing, how would one know for sure that at any given moment a response of the bantering sort is truly what is expected? One need hardly dwell on the catastrophic possibility of uttering a bantering remark only to discover it wholly inappropriate.”

KnowsNeedsWellsMomentsGivenOne ThingPossibilityDutyResponseExpectedRealmsDimensionsRemarksInappropriate
Book:The Remains of the Day
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“For a great many people, the evening is the most enjoyable part of the day. Perhaps, then, there is something to his advice that I should cease looking back so much, that I should adopt a more positive outlook and try to make the best of what remains of my day. After all, what can we ever gain in forever looking back and blaming ourselves if our lives have not turned out quite as we might have wished?”

PeopleIfsShouldTryingMightForeverOur LivesAdviceGainsBlameRemainsCeaseEveningGreat MenLooking BackOutlookPositive OutlookEnjoyable
Book:The Remains of the Day
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“I still have a suspicion of charity and think the state has a role to play in many areas. And although for most of the years since I have been a rather privileged writer, I identify more closely than perhaps I should with those social workers. Had I not become a writer that would have been me. Lots of our friends are still in that world and I do feel part of that generation of people who were rather idealistic in the 70s and became disillusioned in the 80s. Not just about social services issues, but the world.”

PeopleThinkingWorldFeelsShouldYearsHas BeensStillsStatesPlaySocialRolesIssuesGenerationsAreasCharityWorkersSuspicionPrivileged80sSocial WorkerIdealisticDisillusionedSocial Service
Author:Kazuo Ishiguro
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“You could say I'd rewritten the same novel three times and I thought I had to move on. The success of the book, and then the movie, had by then also created a commercial expectation and I remember touring America and seeing people in the audiences who I thought might not want to read the books I wanted to write next. My constituency had become broader, but more mysterious to me.”

PeopleWantWritingBookMightWantedAmericaRememberMovingThreeNextNovelAudienceSeeingExpectationsMysteriousThree TimesTouring
Author:Kazuo Ishiguro
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