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Families will not be broken. Curse and expel them, send…

“Families will not be broken. Curse and expel them, send their children wandering, drown them in floods and fires, and old women will make songs of all these sorrows and sit on the porch and sing them on mild evenings.” quote by Marilynne Robinson
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“Families will not be broken. Curse and expel them, send their children wandering, drown them in floods and fires, and old women will make songs of all these sorrows and sit on the porch and sing them on mild evenings.”

Marilynne Robinson

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Families endure despite severe hardships; suffering is memorialized in song and memory.

In simple terms: Families survive hardships; songs keep sorrow alive.

Key Takeaway

Remember resilience in adversity.

Themes

family resilience memory song hardship

Mood

somber reflective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

  • war
  • natural disaster
  • community trauma
  • generational loss

Key Concepts

sociology psychology folklore

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do songs shape collective memory?
  • What support can break cycles of sorrow?
A Different Perspective

Suffering can be romanticized, overlooking practical aid needed.

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