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Quote 7. “It’s part of the education of a gentleman,” said Philip. “All gentlemen learn the same things.” Explanation and Analysis. Tom struggles at school with Mr. Stelling, who tries to teach him Latin and geometry—subjects for which Tom has little aptitude. Philip, by contrast, has a gift for those subjects and seems to enjoy his studies. In this passage, he tells Tom nonchalantly that he takes so easily to Latin and geometry because “it’s part of the education of a gentleman.” Here Philip associates “gentlemanly” education with various forms of elite knowledge. Latin is not of much use on, say, a working business like Dorlcote Mill. Tom has little skill at Latin, but is talented at practical tasks like building, fishing, and working on the mill. At Mr. Stelling’s, however, those forms of practical knowledge are devalued, and Tom is made to feel stupid. Philip’s comment that “all gentlemen learn the same things” points to the way that among the upper crust, only elite knowledge is treated as valid, while other ways of learning are stigmatized.