Tuesday, September 19, 2006

It's a Calling

"What on earth d'you think [an aunt is] here for, I should like to know?

To be a pattern and example to all aunts . . .; to be a delight to boys [and girls] and a comfort to their parents; and to show that at least one daughter in every generation ought to remain unmarried, [and] raise the profession of auntship to a fine art."

Jan Struther. (1940). Mrs. Miniver. Harcourt, Brace, & Co.

(with thanks to Starr for enlightening me as to the existence of this passage)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

:) I'm glad you quoted it here; I'd forgotten where I'd heard it.

--starr

Auntie K said...

I thought the piece from NPR was great, and it prompted me to find a copy of Mrs. Miniver and hunt down the exact quote.