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Wednesday 8 November 2017

Vicarious snivelling

 No: their wish is, not that I shall weep, but that I shall weep obscenely in the public gaze. In other words, that I shall do their weeping for them, as a sort of emotional bedesman: that I shall make public parade of sympathy in their behalf, so that they may keep their own sympathy for themselves, and win comfort from the belief that they are eased of their just responsibility by vicarious snivelling.

This is Arthur Morrison justifying his grimly realistic stories about life in the London slums, pouring scorn on those who used their middle class angst as a substitute for doing something constructive.

Vicarious snivelling eh? What a delightful phrase, and so apt for our times too. 

3 comments:

Sam Vega said...

Could be a strapline for the Guardian.

Demetrius said...

And I thought it was a village in Shropshire.

A K Haart said...

Sam - worth suggesting?

Demetrius - I think that's Much Snivelling.