The working class do things differently. I can hear it. I can see we are not wrong. We are not just poor people who have not yet evolved into something else - i.e., people with money. We are something else - just as we are. The working classes do it differently. We are the next thing. We power popular culture - just as, before, we powered the Industrial Revolution. The past is theirs, but the future's mine. They're all out of time.
This quote from Caitlin Moran's How to Build a Girl is a profound assertion of the working class’s unique identity and contribution to society. Moran paints the working class not as a group lacking or inferior due to economic status but as a powerful force in its own right, shaping culture and history uniquely and effectively. There's a defiant pride embedded in the statement, highlighting that the working class is not merely waiting to change into something else but is already something distinct and significant.
The sentiment challenges commonly held beliefs about social mobility and success, which often equate worth with wealth accumulation. Instead, Moran recognizes the working class’s role as pioneers, innovators, and bearers of authenticity in culture, likening their impact to the game-changing Industrial Revolution. This draws attention to the cyclical nature of social influence where each era and class brings about transformative change in its own way.
Moreover, the quote expresses a forward-looking optimism. It acknowledges that while the past was dominated by other forces—the implication being perhaps those of wealthier, more traditional elites—the future belongs to the working class. The phrase "They're all out of time" emphasizes a shift in cultural and historical momentum, suggesting that established powers are losing relevance as the working class rises.
In essence, Moran’s words inspire pride, resilience, and a celebration of different values and ways of being, pushing us to rethink social hierarchies and acknowledge that power and innovation often come from unexpected places.