In the end, fiction is the craft of telling truth through lies.
And she, the new mother of a daughter, felt a fierceness come over her that seized at her heart, that made her feel as if her bones were turned to steel, as if she could turn herself into a weapon to keep this daughter of hers from having to be hurt by the world outside the ring of her arms.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes a mother's fierce protective instinct for her child against external dangers.
In this quote, the author explores the profound transformation that occurs in a mother's heart and strength upon the birth of her child. The mother feels an overwhelming sense of fierceness and protection, akin to being armed for battle, showcasing the deep bond and instinctual drive to shield her daughter from the potential harms of the outside world. This sentiment reflects the lengths to which a parent will go to ensure the safety and well-being of their child, illustrating the power of maternal love and ferocity.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a parenting seminar to illustrate the protective nature of mothers.
More from Lauren Groff
All quotes →Sometimes immense things, like war and death and aging, are best seen from the corner of the eye and written of only obliquely, with tremendous lightness.
I seem to long for community and mistrust it in equal measure, and so I spend most of my days carefully constructing various communities in stories and seeing if they fly.
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Not every successful man is a good father. But every good father is a successful man.