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After the desperate years of their own war, after six years of repression inside Spain and six years of horror in exile, these people remain intact in spirit. They are armed with a transcendent faith; they have never won, and yet they have never accepted defeat.
Martha Gellhorn
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote highlights the resilience and unwavering spirit of individuals facing adversity.

Martha Gellhorn's quote emphasizes the remarkable strength and perseverance of people who have endured tremendous hardship and repression. Despite facing years of conflict and exile, their spirit remains unbroken, showcasing a profound sense of faith and an unwillingness to concede defeat. This resilience in the face of ongoing struggles illustrates the power of hope and determination, suggesting that true victory lies not in the absence of challenges but in the unwavering spirit to confront them.

Themes

ResilienceSpiritCourageFaithPerseverance

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about overcoming obstacles, one might quote Gellhorn to illustrate the power of enduring spirit.

More from Martha Gellhorn

Gradually I came to realize that people will more readily swallow lies than truth, as if the taste of lies was homey, appetizing: a habit.
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It would be a bitter cosmic joke if we destroy ourselves due to atrophy of the imagination.
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the ends never justify the means because IT never ends.
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Citizenship is a tough occupation which obliges the citizen to make his own informed opinion and stand by it.
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I followed the war wherever I could reach it.
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Thousand got away to other countries; thousands returned to Spain tempted by false promises of kindness. By the tens of thousands, these Spaniards died of neglect in the concentration camps.
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