It was very bad if the council had resorted to recruiting men. By tradition men were our last line of defence, their physical strength bent towards the single and most important task of protecting our homes and children. This meant the council had decided that our only defence was to defeat the enemy, period. Anything else meant the end of Darre.
Interpretation
The quote reflects on the necessity of defending one's home and children, revealing the weight of tradition and the urgency of survival in dire times.
In this quote, N.K. Jemisin underscores the gravity of the situation in which the council finds itself, suggesting that turning to men for defense signifies a serious threat to their way of life. The emphasis on physical strength and the traditional role of men as protectors highlights the dire circumstances that have forced the society to rely on their last line of defense against potential destruction, reinforcing the themes of survival and the desperation inherent in conflict.
In practice
This quote could be used in a discussion about the importance of protecting one's community during a crisis.
So here is why I write what I do: We all have futures. We all have pasts. We all have stories. And we all, every single one of us, no matter who we are and no matter what’s been taken from us or what poison we’ve internalized or how hard we’ve had to work to expel it – – we all get to dream.
There is nothing foolish about hope.
But love like that doesn't just disappear, does it? No matter how powerful the hate, there is always a little love left, underneath. Yes. Horrible, isn't it?
There is no greater warrior than a mother protecting her child.
Love betrayed has an entirely different sound from hatred outright.
Any woman can face the world alone, but why should we have to?
You’re not leaving me here alone,” I say. Because if he dies, I’ll never go home, not really. I’ll spend the rest of my life in this arena, trying to think my way out.
The Cause of civil liberty must not be surrendered at the end of one, or even one hundred defeats.
Come to the edge.' 'We can't. We're afraid.' 'Come to the edge.' 'We can't. We will fall!' 'Come to the edge.' And they came. And he pushed them. And they flew.
Be as bold as the first man or [woman] to eat an oyster.
Somehow the killing of the giant spider, all alone by himself in the dark without the help of the wizard or the dwarves or of anyone else, made a great difference to Mr. Baggins. He felt a different person, and much fiercer and bolder in spite of an empty stomach, as he wiped his sword on the grass and put it back into its sheath.
Please be peaceful. We believe in law and order. We are not advocating violence, I want you to love your enemies... for what we are doing is right, what we are doing is just -- and God is with us.
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