Both Uses of
bourgeois
in
Arrowsmith
- Max Gottlieb's wife was thick and slow-moving and mute; at sixty she had not learned to speak easy English; and her German was of the small-town bourgeois, who pay their debts and over-eat and grow red.†
Chpt 12 *
- Of course I wouldn't hurt dear Leora or do anything REALLY wrong for the world, but isn't it wonderful that with so many bourgeois folks all around, we can rise above them and realize the call that strength makes to strength and— But I've simply GOT to be at the Y.W.C.A. meeting.†
Chpt 21
Definition:
-
(bourgeois) typical of the middle class or their values and habits - typically used disapprovingly
or (in Marxist theory):
typical of the property-owning classeditor's notes: Bourgeois is often used to refer to the values of the upper middle class. You may also see the term petit bourgeois to describe very small business owners.
Note that bourgeois, bourgeoisie, and bourgeoise are often interchanged.
Bourgeois is most common and can be used as an adjective or a noun. Bourgeoisie is typically used only as a noun, and bourgeoise is occasionally used as an alternate spelling of bourgeois.