People
Most of the confidence which I appear to feel, especially when influenced by noon wine, is only a pretense.
— Tennessee Williams · "I am widely regarded as the ghost of a writer," 1977 essay,
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
A frank confession: whatever confidence the speaker seems to have is mostly an act, especially around midday wine. The self-deprecating tone admits that the bold front covers uncertainty, and that a drink makes the show look more convincing than it is.
Context reviewed