In apartments and cottages, on the street and in the train... I listen... More and more, I turn into one large ear, always turning to another person.
'Women's' war has its own colors, its own smells, its own lighting, and its own range of feelings. There are no heroes and incredible feats; there are simply people who are busy doing inhumanly human things.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the unique experiences and emotions of women during war, emphasizing their human struggles rather than heroic narratives.
Svetlana Alexievich's quote sheds light on the often overlooked perspectives of women in wartime, illustrating that their experiences are characterized by distinct emotions and realities. Instead of glorifying war with traditional images of heroism, she invites us to recognize the everyday humanity and resilience of those affected, emphasizing that all people involved in war are navigating profound challenges that defy simple labels of heroism or villainy.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used to start a discussion about the impact of war on women in a classroom setting.
More from Svetlana Alexievich
All quotes βThe subjects I wanted to write about - the mystery of the human soul, evil - didn't interest newspapers, and news reporting bored me.
There is no need to give in to the compromise that totalitarian regimes always count on.
I've been searching for a genre that would be most adequate to my vision of the world to convey how my ear hears and my eyes see life. I tried this and that, and finally, I chose a genre where human voices speak for themselves. But I don't just record a dry history of events and facts; I'm writing a history of human feelings.
From the point of view of art, the butcher and the victim are equal as people. You need to see the people.
Nothing, not even human life, is more precious to us than our myths about ourselves.
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