You don't teach information in a writing workshop.
Tobias WolffRead
You felt it as a depth of ease in certain boys, their innate, affable assurance that they would not have to struggle for a place in the world; that is already reserved for them.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on certain boys' natural confidence and the ease they feel about their position in the world.
In this quote, Tobias Wolff observes the innate confidence of some boys, suggesting that they possess a sense of entitlement or assurance about their place in life. This ease stems from a belief that their success is predetermined, reflecting deeper societal expectations and privileges that shape their experiences, often contrasting with the struggles faced by others who do not share the same background or advantages.
Themes
ConfidenceEntitlementAssuranceSuccessStruggle
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on privilege, this quote may highlight the ease some have in navigating life.
More from Tobias Wolff
All quotes →Of course it's why you want to become a writer - because you have the liberty to do that, but once you have the liberty you also have the obligation to do it.
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Because I don't have to be careful of people's feelings when I teach literature, and I do when I'm teaching writing.
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It's probably why I'm a short story writer. I tend to remember things in the past in narrative form, in story form, and I grew up around people who told stories all the time.
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Like so many writers I started writing stories because I didn't have much time for anything else.
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I believe that the short story is as different a form from the novel as poetry is, and the best stories seem to me to be perhaps closer in spirit to poetry than to novels.
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