They don't ask much of you. They only want you to hate the things you love and to love the things you despise.
All mothers are mothers of great people, and it is not their fault that life later disappoints them.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the inherent greatness of children in the eyes of their mothers, regardless of how life unfolds.
Boris Pasternak's quote emphasizes the unconditionally high expectations that mothers have for their children, showcasing their belief in their children's potential to achieve greatness. It also reflects on the disappointments that can arise as those children grow and face life's challenges, suggesting that such outcomes are not a reflection of the mothers' abilities or failures. This perspective encourages empathy towards mothers and acknowledges the complexities of parental expectations and the realities of adult life.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a speech about the influence of parenting on individual potential.
More from Boris Pasternak
All quotes βEven so, one step from my grave, I believe that cruelty, spite, The powers of darkness will in time, Be crushed by the spirit of light.
He is her glory. Any woman could say it. For every one of them, God is in her child. Mothers of great men must have been familiar with this feeling, but then, all women are mothers of great men -- it isn't their fault if life disappoints them later.
Our evenings are farewells. Our parties are testaments. So that the secret stream of suffering. May warm the cold of life.
The most extraordinary discoveries are made when the artist is overwhelmed by what he has to say.
Oh, how one wishes sometimes to escape from the meaningless dullness of human eloquence, from all those sublime phrases, to take refuge in nature, apparently so inarticulate, or in the wordlessness of long, grinding labor, of sound sleep, of true music, or of a human understanding rendered speechless by emotion!
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You have to pay attention to who you are. You need to know your family history as well as you can. It is important for young women to have preventive care. If you catch any women's cancers early it's the difference between life and death. Do you really want to leave your kids without a mother?
The only gift my dad ever bought me is still in my jewelry box. It died at 10 minutes to 11 decades ago, but the gold Caravelle watch keeps my dad alive. A watch isn't about keeping time. It's about stopping it.
The best bought-up children are those who have seen thier parents as they are. Hypocrisy is not the first duty of a parent.
When mother is happy, family is happy. When family is happy, nation is happy.
The world tips away when we look into our children's faces.
There was one moment where they were riding their little ponies in Scotland, and Stella said to me: 'Dad! You're Paul McCartney, aren't you?' 'Yes darling, but I'm Daddy really'.