--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Since they were unable to liberate…" description: "\"“Since they were unable to liberate themselves from the old words and the fear, they prowled the streets and cast their angry shadows.”\" — Aharon Appel..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbc/aharon-appelfeld-36561_fear_since-they-were-unable-to-liberate-thems_300947.png" --- # Since they were unable to liberate themselves from the old… ![“Since they were unable to liberate themselves from the old words and the fear, they prowled the streets and cast their angry shadows.” quote by Aharon Appelfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbc/aharon-appelfeld-36561_fear_since-they-were-unable-to-liberate-thems_300947.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbc/aharon-appelfeld-36561_fear_since-they-were-unable-to-liberate-thems_300947.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbc/aharon-appelfeld-36561_fear_since-they-were-unable-to-liberate-thems_300947.png) > ““Since they were unable to liberate themselves from the old words and the fear, they prowled the streets and cast their angry shadows.”” [Aharon Appelfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aharon-appelfeld/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People trapped by past trauma and fear become hostile, projecting anger onto the world. **In simple terms:** Past fear fuels aggression. Key Takeaway Break cycles of fear. Themes trauma fear violence Mood somber reflective Type literary historical When to use this quote - post‑war societies - personal healing - community rebuilding Key Concepts psychology historical memory Questions to Reflect On - How does fear shape your actions? - What steps can you take to release past burdens? A Different Perspective Addressing trauma requires confronting the root cause, not just the symptoms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Shadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shadows/) ## Related quotes > [“i have lost millions and millions of words to fear. tell me that is not violence”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nayyirah-waheed/i-have-lost-millions-and-millions-of-words-to-fear-tell-me-that-is/) [Nayyirah Waheed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nayyirah-waheed/) > [“There are things that go bump in the night.” He said, eyes trained on Liam but words for all of them. Fear was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrianne-brooks/there-are-things-that-go-bump-in-the-night-he-said-eyes-trained-on/) [Adrianne Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrianne-brooks/) > [The aphorism is cultivated only by those who have known fear in the midst of words, that fear of collapsing with all the words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/the-aphorism-is-cultivated-only-by-those-who-have-known-fear-in-the/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [“The matter is difficult to put into words. For fear, real fear, such as shakes you to your foundation, such as you feel when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/the-matter-is-difficult-to-put-into-words-for-fear-real-fear-such-as/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“I must say a word about fear. It is life's only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life. It is a clever, treacherous adversary,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/i-must-say-a-word-about-fear-it-is-life-s-only-true-opponent-only-4/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [As long as we are not chased from our words we have nothing to fear. As long as our utterances keep their sound we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmond-jab-s/as-long-as-we-are-not-chased-from-our-words-we-have-nothing-to-fear/) [Edmond Jabes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmond-jab-s/) > [The words, you fear to speak, that truth, I shall have with me, within me, all of my days. Respected, Honored, Cherished, Safe. You,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nickel/the-words-you-fear-to-speak-that-truth-i-shall-have-with-me-within-me/) [Eric Nickel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nickel/) > [A lot of children, like I did, move away from words because of the fear - which is something you have to take out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/a-lot-of-children-like-i-did-move-away-from-words-because-of-the-fear/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [“Try to think of it as though we are rewriting history––the first time this experience occurred you and I never kissed in this Dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-caligiuri/try-to-think-of-it-as-though-we-are-rewriting-history-the-first-time/) [Ross Caligiuri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-caligiuri/) > [Never Allow The Dark Shadows Of Your Past To Dim The Light You Were Destined To Shine...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prahmiss/never-allow-the-dark-shadows-of-your-past-to-dim-the-light-you-were/) Prahmiss > [The sun was trembling on the brink of the world, the shadows at their longest, and they still had several kilometers to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flanagan/the-sun-was-trembling-on-the-brink-of-the-world-the-shadows-at-their/) [John Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flanagan/) > [“strike from the shadows, disapear into darkness”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-landy/strike-from-the-shadows-disapear-into-darkness/) [derek landy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-landy/) > [Even in the darkness, his smile threw shadows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/even-in-the-darkness-his-smile-threw-shadows/) [Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/) > [I watched the movie 'What We Do in the Shadows' in a packed theater when it first came out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-dacosta/i-watched-the-movie-what-we-do-in-the-shadows-in-a-packed-theater/) [Nia DaCosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-dacosta/) > [Home is behind, the world ahead, And there are many paths to tread Through shadows to the edge of night, Until the stars are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/home-is-behind-the-world-ahead-and-there-are-many-paths-to-tread/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Aharon Appelfeld > [I see myself as a man who is searching for meaning in life. This is rather different from being a staunch believer in something.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aharon-appelfeld/i-see-myself-as-a-man-who-is-searching-for-meaning-in-life-this-is/) [Aharon Appelfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aharon-appelfeld/) > [I had a feeling that my generation-and me, also-we were naked. We did not belong to anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aharon-appelfeld/i-had-a-feeling-that-my-generation-and-me-also-we-were-naked-we-did/) [Aharon Appelfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aharon-appelfeld/) > [A story is not only meaning, it's music as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aharon-appelfeld/a-story-is-not-only-meaning-it-s-music-as-well/) [Aharon Appelfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aharon-appelfeld/) > [The Holocaust is a central event in many people's lives, but it also has become a metaphor for our century. There cannot be an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aharon-appelfeld/the-holocaust-is-a-central-event-in-many-people-s-lives-but-it-also/) [Aharon Appelfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aharon-appelfeld/) > [People who lose their parents when young are permanently in love with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aharon-appelfeld/people-who-lose-their-parents-when-young-are-permanently-in-love-with/) [Aharon Appelfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aharon-appelfeld/) > [My nights are a nightmare, quite often, but the nightmares are rich. I nourish myself by those nights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aharon-appelfeld/my-nights-are-a-nightmare-quite-often-but-the-nightmares-are-rich-i/) [Aharon Appelfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aharon-appelfeld/) > [Can art be completely invented? It's a matter of shaping reality with the help of imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aharon-appelfeld/can-art-be-completely-invented-it-s-a-matter-of-shaping-reality-with/) [Aharon Appelfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aharon-appelfeld/) > [The writer in western civilization has become not a voice of his tribe, but of his individuality. This is a very narrow-minded situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aharon-appelfeld/the-writer-in-western-civilization-has-become-not-a-voice-of-his/) [Aharon Appelfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aharon-appelfeld/) > [A person has to be by himself a little bit. We weren’t born in a flock. Togetherness drives me out of my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aharon-appelfeld/a-person-has-to-be-by-himself-a-little-bit-we-weren-t-born-in-a-flock/) [Aharon Appelfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aharon-appelfeld/) > [I am not writing in metaphors. I am writing about catastrophes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aharon-appelfeld/i-am-not-writing-in-metaphors-i-am-writing-about-catastrophes/) [Aharon Appelfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aharon-appelfeld/) [Explore all 11 Aharon Appelfeld quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aharon-appelfeld/) ## More Fear quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [“That horrible stinging sensation returned, the muscles behind my eyes straining as the first tear began to fall. “I’m scared, too. For eighteen months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-ashley/that-horrible-stinging-sensation-returned-the-muscles-behind-my-eyes/) [Devon Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-ashley/) > [“...Often that which most we fear births the resolve that spurs us on to altitudes we could not have achieved, had we continued walking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-t-anderson/often-that-which-most-we-fear-births-the-resolve-that-spurs-us-on-to/) [M.T. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-t-anderson/) > [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/) Nagisa Tatsumi > [“We all know how the thing we secretly fear is not a secret at all but the open and eternal thing that predicts its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/we-all-know-how-the-thing-we-secretly-fear-is-not-a-secret-at-all-but/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [“I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness and so for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-had-nowhere-to-go-and-did-not-wish-to-be-seen-by-anyone-for-fear/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [“Snip off the little worries and expressions of worry” like little branches atop a tall tree.28 If you are truly worried, sharing your concerns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/snip-off-the-little-worries-and-expressions-of-worry-like-little/) [Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/) > [“Fear and desire for pleasure. Aggressiveness comes out of fear, predominantly, and sexuality predominantly out of the other. But they mix in the middle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/fear-and-desire-for-pleasure-aggressiveness-comes-out-of-fear/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [“Yes, the issue was courage. It always had been, even as a kid. Things scared him. He couldn't help it. Noise scared him, dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/yes-the-issue-was-courage-it-always-had-been-even-as-a-kid-things/) [Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/) > [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/) [Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) [Browse all 35,569 Fear quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Since they were unable to liberate themselves from the old words and the fear, they prowled the streets and cast their angry shadows.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aharon Appelfeld" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aharon-appelfeld/since-they-were-unable-to-liberate-themselves-from-the-old-words-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fear" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aharon-appelfeld/since-they-were-unable-to-liberate-themselves-from-the-old-words-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbc/aharon-appelfeld-36561_fear_since-they-were-unable-to-liberate-thems_300947.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbc/aharon-appelfeld-36561_fear_since-they-were-unable-to-liberate-thems_300947.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbc/aharon-appelfeld-36561_fear_since-they-were-unable-to-liberate-thems_300947.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Since they were unable to liberate themselves from the old words and the fear, they prowled the streets and…” — Aharon Appelfeld", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Aharon Appelfeld", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aharon-appelfeld/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Since they were unable to liberate...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aharon-appelfeld/since-they-were-unable-to-liberate-themselves-from-the-old-words-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aharon-appelfeld/since-they-were-unable-to-liberate-themselves-from-the-old-words-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```