Famous quote by Randall Jarrell

"In the United States, there one feels free... Except from the Americans - but every pearl has its oyster"

About this Quote

Randall Jarrell's quote, "In the United States, there one does not hesitate ... Except from the Americans - but every pearl has its oyster", offers a multi-layered interpretation of flexibility and social dynamics in the United States.

On the surface area, Jarrell acknowledges the liberty that is emblematic of the American experience. The expression "there one does not hesitate" reflects the nation's identity as a bastion of personal liberties and chances. The United States has long been perceived as a land of freedom, drawing individuals from around the world looking for a location where they can live without overbearing constraints.

However, Jarrell introduces a paradoxical observation with "Except from the Americans". Here, he recommends that while the U.S. might offer freedoms absent elsewhere, the Americans themselves might impose their own social, cultural, or peer pressures that can suppress uniqueness or individual expression. This might suggest criticism of social standards, conformity, or the social efforts to regulate behavior that might be viewed as un-American or outside the mainstream.

The concluding part of the quote, "but every pearl has its oyster", provides a metaphorical insight into the relationship in between liberty and limitation. Just as a pearl is produced within the boundaries of an oyster, the freedoms in America may occur from the really social structures and constraints imposed by American society. The oyster represents the societal structure that, in spite of its limitations, eventually allows the 'pearl'-- a person's true sense of flexibility or self-- to form. It recommends that the friction or tension experienced can lead to personal or cultural development, much like how a pearl is formed through irritation within the oyster.

Overall, Jarrell's quote welcomes reflection on the nature of freedom as not just a static or ensured condition, but as something established and realized through engaging with the social environment, complete with its fundamental contradictions and intricacies. This paradox highlights the dynamic and typically difficult procedure of achieving real freedom and uniqueness within a specific social context.

About the Author

USA Flag This quote is written / told by Randall Jarrell between May 6, 1914 and October 15, 1965. He/she was a famous Poet from USA. The author also have 10 other quotes.
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