Most writers tend to get worse rather than better. I'm determined to be one that gets better.
Edmund WhiteRead
In Paris, AIDS was dismissed as an American phobia until French people started dying; then everyone said, 'Well, you have to die some way or another.' If Americans were hysterical and pragmatic, the French were fatalistic: depressed but determined to keep the party going.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights differing attitudes towards AIDS in America and France, contrasting America’s fear with France’s resignation.
Edmund White's quote reflects on the initial dismissive attitude toward AIDS in France, where it was seen as an American problem until it began to affect the French populace directly. The juxtaposition between American hysteria and French fatalism reveals deep cultural differences in dealing with mortality and public health crises, where the French managed to acknowledge the severity of the illness while maintaining a spirit of enjoyment amidst sadness.
Themes
AidsCultureFatalismLifeDeathAcceptance
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about cultural differences in dealing with health crises.
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