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At length I recollected the thoughtless saying of a great princess, who, on being informed that the country people had no bread, replied, "Let them eat cake".
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote highlights the disconnect between the elite and the struggles of the common people.

This quote by Jean-Jacques Rousseau reflects the idea of indifference among those in power towards the hardships faced by the less fortunate. The phrase, often attributed to Marie Antoinette, symbolizes a level of ignorance or naivety, suggesting that the upper class is unaware of the dire situations that ordinary people endure, and thus responds with an impractical or dismissive suggestion.

Themes

DisconnectionPrivilegeIndifferenceClassStruggle

In practice

Example use cases

During a lecture on social justice, this quote can be used to illustrate the gap between societal classes.

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