Historical Re-creation, he thought glumly, as they picked their way across, under, over or through the boulders and insect-buzzing heaps of splintered timber, with streamlets running everywhere. Only we do it with people dressing up and running around with blunt weapons, and people selling hot dogs, and the girls all miserable because they can only dress up as wenches, wenching being the only job available to women in the olden days.

Summary

In this quote, the speaker reflects cynically on the phenomenon of historical re-creation. They conveys their discontent as they sarcastically observe people immersed in reenacting historical events, clad in costumes and wielding fake weapons. They also mention the presence of hot dog vendors, highlighting the commercialization of these events. Furthermore, the speaker comments on the limited roles available for women in such re-creations, expressing the dissatisfaction of women who are typically only offered the opportunity to portray oppressed or lowly characters like "wenches." Overall, the quote sheds light on the speaker's disillusionment with the inauthenticity and shortcomings of historical re-creation.

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