"Civilization is the lamb's skin in which barbarism masquerades"

This quote by Thomas Bailey Aldrich recommends that civilization is a thin veneer that masks the underlying barbarism of human nature. It indicates that while civilization may seem a civilizing force, it is merely a facade that conceals the more primal and savage elements of humankind. The metaphor of the lamb's skin recommends that civilization is a fragile covering that can quickly be stripped away to reveal the true nature of humankind. This quote works as a suggestion that while civilization might seem a civilizing force, it is merely a thin layer that can easily be removed away to expose the more primal and savage elements of mankind. It is a caution that we should not be too contented in our belief that civilization is a permanent and unchangeable force.