You have no idea how humiliating it was, as a boy, to suddenly have all your clothes, your toys, snatched by the bailiff. I mean we were a middle-class family, it's not as if it was happening up and down the street. It made me ashamed, I felt dirty.

Summary

This quote reflects the speaker's deep emotional impact of experiencing the sudden loss of possessions due to financial distress. The use of the word "humiliating" highlights the embarrassment and shame the speaker felt as a result of this experience. The reference to their middle-class background emphasizes how this loss felt particularly isolating and unexpected. The speaker's feelings of shame and dirtiness imply a sense of personal responsibility for their family's situation, adding to the emotional weight of this experience.

Topics