But maybe a man was nothing but a man, which is what Baby Suggs always said. They encouraged you to put some of your weight in their hands and soon as you felt how light and lovely that was, they studied your scars and tribulations, after which they did what he had done: ran her children out and tore up the house. [...] A man ain't nothing but a man,' said Baby Suggs. 'But a son? Well now, that's somebody.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the distinction between a man and the deeper significance of being a son, highlighting emotional connections and the weight of familial roles.
In this quote, Toni Morrison reflects on the value of different roles within human relationships, particularly contrasting the simplistic nature of being 'just a man' with the profound importance of being a 'son'. Baby Suggs articulates the idea that while men may have a limited identity, the role of a son carries a deeper emotional weight and significance, suggesting that familial ties and the connections we form with others enrich our existence beyond mere labels.
In practice
This quote could be shared during a family gathering to discuss the significance of familial relationships.
There is a certain kind of peace that is not merely the absence of war. It is larger than that. The peace I am thinking of is not at the mercy of history's rule, nor is it a passive surrender to the status quo. The peace I am thinking of is the dance of an open mind when it engages another equally open one -- an activity that occurs most naturally, most often in the reading/writing world we live in. Accessible as it is, this particular kind of peace warrants vigilance.
You looking good." "Devil's confusion. He lets me look good long as I feel bad.
What do you say? There really are no words for that. There really aren't. Somebody tries to say, 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.' People say that to me. There's no language for it. Sorry doesn't do it. I think you should just hug people and mop their floor or something.
An innocent man is a sin before God. Inhuman and therefore untrustworthy. No man should live without absorbing the sins of his kind, the foul air of his innocence, even if it did wilt rows of angel trumpets and cause them to fall from their vines.
Like friendship, hatred needed more than physical intimacy; it wanted creativity and hard work to sustain itself
One of my kids was born in 1968. There were going to be political difficulties, but they were never going to have that level of hatred and contempt that my brothers and my sister and myself were exposed to.
She is inhumanly alone. And then, all at once, she isn't.
When I meet a new person, I don’t see race or religion. I look deeper. We must learn to satisfy our conflicts peacefully and to respect one another.
Marriage is the alliance of two people, one of whom never remembers birthdays and the other who never forgets them.
Joint undertakings stand a better chance when they benefit both sides.
Be yourself and the right people will love you.
The demands of having to be 'masculine' are as damaging to men as the demands of having to be 'feminine' are to women. I wish we could all agree just to wash it all away. Begin again.
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