An Education (2009) - Quotes

The Fragility of Youthful Innocence

Taglines: Innocence of the Young.

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Conflict over Historical Perspectives in Education

Headmistress: He's a Jew? You're aware, I take it, that the Jews killed our Lord?

Jenny: And you're aware, I suppose, that our Lord was Jewish?

Headmistress: I suppose he told you that. We're all very sorry about what happened during the war. But that's absolutely no excuse for that sort of malicious and untruthful propaganda.

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Confronting Past Decisions and Parental Responsibility

Jack: We have to have this out. Well, if you won't do it, I will. I'm still your father.

Jenny: You're my father again now, are you? And what were you when you encouraged me to throw my life away? Silly schoolgirls are always getting seduced by glamorous older men, but what about you two?

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The Complexity of Secrets in Relationships

Jenny: [Reading from envelopes she found in David's car] Mr. and Mrs. David Goldman. Mr. and Mrs. David Goldman. Mr. and Mrs. David— you're married!

David: Legally yes, but...

Jenny: When were you going to tell me?

David: Soon. It just never seemed like the right time. You seemed so happy, and I was happy...

Jenny: You were living with your wife all this time, around the corner! Byron Avenue. It's no wonder we kept bumping into each other, is it? What number?

David: 34. Don't be like this, come on.

Jenny: I have nothing. I didn't take my exams. I... I left school. Where's it all gone now?

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Perceptions of Age and Wisdom

Miss Stubbs: You seem to be old and wise.

Jenny: I feel old. But not very wise.

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The Value of Education and Experience

Headmistress: Nobody does anything worth doing without a degree.

Jenny: Nobody does anything worth doing with a degree. No woman anyway.

Headmistress: So what I do isn't worth doing? Or what Miss Stubbs does, or Mrs. Wilson, or any of us here? Because none of us would be here without a degree. You do realize that, don't you? And yes, of course studying is hard and boring...

Jenny: Boring!

Headmistress: I'm sorry?

Jenny: Studying is hard and boring. Teaching is hard and boring. So, what you're telling me is to be bored, and then bored, and finally bored again, but this time for the rest of my life? This whole stupid country is bored! There's no life in it, or color, or fun! It's probably just as well the Russians are going to drop a nuclear bomb on us any day now. So my choice is to do something hard and boring, or to marry my... Jew, and go to Paris and Rome and listen to jazz, and read, and eat good food in nice restaurants, and have fun! It's not enough to educate us anymore, Ms. Walters. You've got to tell us why you're doing it.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.