---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We believe that the dead have power,” May…"
description: "\"“We believe that the dead have power,” May translated. The old man gestured toward the corner of his room, where framed black and white photos of an As..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/637/bentley-little-20269_black-and-white_we-believe-that-the-dead-have-power-may_3037427.jpg"
---

#  We believe that the dead have power,” May translated. The…

![“We believe that the dead have power,” May translated. The old man gestured toward the corner of his room, where framed black and white photos of an Asian man and woman stood between two sticks of incense in front of a red backdrop decorated with gold lettering.” quote by Bentley Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/637/bentley-little-20269_black-and-white_we-believe-that-the-dead-have-power-may_3037427.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/637/bentley-little-20269_black-and-white_we-believe-that-the-dead-have-power-may_3037427.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/637/bentley-little-20269_black-and-white_we-believe-that-the-dead-have-power-may_3037427.jpg)

> ““We believe that the dead have power,” May translated. The old man gestured toward the corner of his room, where framed black and white photos of an Asian man and woman stood between two sticks of incense in front of a red backdrop decorated with gold lettering.””

[Bentley Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bentley-little/)

## About This Quote

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

Power can be attributed to the dead, influencing the living through rituals and memory.

**In simple terms:** The dead are believed to hold power.

Key Takeaway

Respect ancestors, understand their influence.

Themes

spirituality tradition memory

Mood

contemplative somber

Type

cultural narrative

When to use this quote

- family gatherings
- heritage festivals
- personal loss
- counseling

Key Concepts

ancestral worship psychology cultural rites fear

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you feel ancestral expectations shape your choices?
- How do rituals affect your sense of control?

A Different Perspective

Belief in dead power can hinder progress.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Black and white](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-and-white/) [Black And White Photo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-and-white-photo/) [Man and woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-and-woman/) [Old man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/)

## Related quotes

> [I think the way you can tell if a guy and girl are in a serious relationship is whether or not they have black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-karo/i-think-the-way-you-can-tell-if-a-guy-and-girl-are-in-a-serious/)

[Aaron Karo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-karo/)

> [“Meaning is also a colour and that’s why there are many colours in the black and white photos!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/meaning-is-also-a-colour-and-that-s-why-there-are-many-colours-in-the/)

[Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [“I believe that when I am dead, I am dead. I believe that with my death I am just as much obliterated as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/i-believe-that-when-i-am-dead-i-am-dead-i-believe-that-with-my-death/)

[Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/)

> [“Now play nicely , make-believe dead girl”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/now-play-nicely-make-believe-dead-girl/)

[Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/)

> [“I told you, Ms. Lane, never believe anything is dead-" "- I know, I know, until you've 'burned it, poked around in its ashes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/i-told-you-ms-lane-never-believe-anything-is-dead-i-know-i-know-until/)

[Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/)

> [I now believe when I'm dead and buried my tombstone will read, "I'm not entirely sure the band's over."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-mason/i-now-believe-when-i-m-dead-and-buried-my-tombstone-will-read-i-m-not/)

[Nick Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-mason/)

> [The minute that you're not learning I believe you're dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/the-minute-that-you-re-not-learning-i-believe-you-re-dead/)

[Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/)

> [“The Feegles believe that they are dead. This world is so nice, they argue, that they must have been really good in a past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-feegles-believe-that-they-are-dead-this-world-is-so-nice-they/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [I believe that when I am dead, I am dead. I believe that with my death I am just as much obliterated as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/i-believe-that-when-i-am-dead-i-am-dead-i-believe-that-with-my-death-2/)

[Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/)

> [“To those who believe the dead do not visit them, I say you have cataracts in your soul. I am a man of science,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-richman/to-those-who-believe-the-dead-do-not-visit-them-i-say-you-have/)

[Alyson Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-richman/)

> [It's just that the churches have been sleeping for a long time. A lot of people argue that the churches are even dead. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/it-s-just-that-the-churches-have-been-sleeping-for-a-long-time-a-lot/)

[Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/)

> [If you believe that the world will end in 2012 then you must believe that a dead bird is flying through the sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamum/if-you-believe-that-the-world-will-end-in-2012-then-you-must-believe/)

Yamum

> [Immortality is the condition of a dead man who doesn't believe he is dead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/immortality-is-the-condition-of-a-dead-man-who-doesn-t-believe-he-is/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [Don't celebrate yet, Ms. Lane. Don't believe anything is dead until you've burned it, poked around in its ashes, and then waited a day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/don-t-celebrate-yet-ms-lane-don-t-believe-anything-is-dead-until-you/)

[Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/)

> [“You didn't believe I was dead" "Never”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/you-didn-t-believe-i-was-dead-never/)

[Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/)

## More by Bentley Little

> [“No one said a word; it was as if they were waiting for me to retract my question. Jan's hand found mine and held…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bentley-little/no-one-said-a-word-it-was-as-if-they-were-waiting-for-me-to-retract/)

[Bentley Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bentley-little/)

> [I always thought the appeal for vampires are the same as religion, the desire to avoid death and live forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bentley-little/i-always-thought-the-appeal-for-vampires-are-the-same-as-religion-the/)

[Bentley Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bentley-little/)

> [I write horror because I enjoy it. I'm endlessly fascinated by the supernatural, by death, by darkness. And, to be honest, I don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bentley-little/i-write-horror-because-i-enjoy-it-i-m-endlessly-fascinated-by-the/)

[Bentley Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bentley-little/)

> [The Revelation was my master's project, and after I finished it, I thought I'd send it off to a publisher and within a year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bentley-little/the-revelation-was-my-master-s-project-and-after-i-finished-it-i/)

[Bentley Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bentley-little/)

> [Most people are middle class. Most people do wish their lives were better than they are. And I think by making my main characters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bentley-little/most-people-are-middle-class-most-people-do-wish-their-lives-were/)

[Bentley Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bentley-little/)

> [“This can't be constitutional," he said. "This is America, damn it. We still have freedom of speech here.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bentley-little/this-can-t-be-constitutional-he-said-this-is-america-damn-it-we-still/)

[Bentley Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bentley-little/)

> [“I thought I’d been getting along fine with the weekend visits and occasional summer sleepovers, but suddenly I was aware of all I’d missed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bentley-little/i-thought-i-d-been-getting-along-fine-with-the-weekend-visits-and/)

[Bentley Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bentley-little/)

> [Real life was messier than fiction, and in it you didn't always have time to do or say the right things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bentley-little/real-life-was-messier-than-fiction-and-in-it-you-didn-t-always-have/)

[Bentley Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bentley-little/)

> [There were shadows galore in the dim light, but there was one shadow that did not correspond to any object in the room. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bentley-little/there-were-shadows-galore-in-the-dim-light-but-there-was-one-shadow/)

[Bentley Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bentley-little/)

> [I think readers appreciate those of us who stay in the trenches and fight the good fight even when times get tough. I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bentley-little/i-think-readers-appreciate-those-of-us-who-stay-in-the-trenches-and/)

[Bentley Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bentley-little/)

> [I think the internet is a great marketing tool--but marketing is not my job. I'm a writer. My job is to write novels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bentley-little/i-think-the-internet-is-a-great-marketing-tool-but-marketing-is-not/)

[Bentley Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bentley-little/)

> [Like most authors, I'm a raging egomaniac. I know that about myself. And I know that, if I had internet access, I would waste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bentley-little/like-most-authors-i-m-a-raging-egomaniac-i-know-that-about-myself-and/)

[Bentley Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bentley-little/)

> [In real life, good people die all the time and a\*\*holes can live long and happy lives. It's a crapshoot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bentley-little/in-real-life-good-people-die-all-the-time-and-a-holes-can-live-long/)

[Bentley Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bentley-little/)

> [Horror writers can write about everything in the real world that a mainstream novelist can--plus the supernatural, which is the most fertile field for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bentley-little/horror-writers-can-write-about-everything-in-the-real-world-that-a/)

[Bentley Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bentley-little/)

> [Murder is an inherently evil act, no matter what the circumstances, no matter how convincing the rationalizations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bentley-little/murder-is-an-inherently-evil-act-no-matter-what-the-circumstances-no/)

[Bentley Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bentley-little/)

[Explore all 30 Bentley Little quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bentley-little/)

## More Black and white quotes

> [“In the picture, Ava Gardner's tousled black hair obscured her right eye, and her full, closed lips were pulled slightly to the right, resulting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-gifford/in-the-picture-ava-gardner-s-tousled-black-hair-obscured-her-right/)

[Barry Gifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-gifford/)

> [The world doesn't see a lot of gray. The world sees black and white, and then it understands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/the-world-doesn-t-see-a-lot-of-gray-the-world-sees-black-and-white/)

[George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/)

> [We shall be free only together, black and white. We shall survive only together, black and white. We can be human only together, black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/we-shall-be-free-only-together-black-and-white-we-shall-survive-only/)

[Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/)

> [“The world isn't always black and white. sometimes, it's gray, and sometimes that gray explodes into colors you never knew existed before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-darhower/the-world-isn-t-always-black-and-white-sometimes-it-s-gray-and/)

[J.M. Darhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-darhower/)

> [“The Runaway Five's obvious influence is The Blues Brothers. During localization, their black and white suits were made more colorful to avoid legal action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-baumann/the-runaway-five-s-obvious-influence-is-the-blues-brothers-during/)

[Ken Baumann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-baumann/)

> [I shoot in black and white, sometimes color, sometimes if it looks good I shoot out the window of the airplanes or whatever, anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barry/i-shoot-in-black-and-white-sometimes-color-sometimes-if-it-looks-good/)

[Robert Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barry/)

> [“I think you want very much to make this black and white--to make us all out to be sinners or saints. But it's just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-sexton/i-think-you-want-very-much-to-make-this-black-and-white-to-make-us/)

[Marie Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-sexton/)

> [Teenage girls are extremists who see the world in black-and- white terms, missing shades of gray. Life is either marvelous or notworth living. School…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-pipher/teenage-girls-are-extremists-who-see-the-world-in-black-and-white/)

[Mary Pipher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pipher/)

> [I remember thinking all TV was black and white, but that was because we had a really old, broken TV. And then I went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruby-rose/i-remember-thinking-all-tv-was-black-and-white-but-that-was-because/)

[Ruby Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruby-rose/)

> [Everything is not black-and-white . I'm really interested in the gray area - not justifying it, not glorifying it, not condoning it, but at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/everything-is-not-black-and-white-i-m-really-interested-in-the-gray/)

[Isaiah Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-washington/)

> [Anyone who will look at my life from the outside won't see the struggles inside. Sometimes, things are not always as we see or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanda-kaushik/anyone-who-will-look-at-my-life-from-the-outside-won-t-see-the/)

[Chanda Kaushik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanda-kaushik/)

> [Light and subject is inseparable. But when it is well integrated, it becomes the work of a fine masterpiece.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-chong-hasang/light-and-subject-is-inseparable-but-when-it-is-well-integrated-it/)

Paul Chong Hasang

> [“Annabelle, if there is one thing I’ve learned over my years watching and protecting humans, it’s that we can talk about black and white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-bartels/annabelle-if-there-is-one-thing-i-ve-learned-over-my-years-watching/)

[A.P. Bartels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-bartels/)

> [Which is probably the reason why I work exclusively in black and white... to highlight that contrast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-nimoy/which-is-probably-the-reason-why-i-work-exclusively-in-black-and/)

[Leonard Nimoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-nimoy/)

> [There is nothing gray about whether a follower of Christ should see 50 Shades of Grey. This is a black and white issue. Don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/there-is-nothing-gray-about-whether-a-follower-of-christ-should-see/)

[Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/)

[Browse all 1,368 Black and white quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-and-white/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“We believe that the dead have power,” May translated. The old man gestured toward the corner of his room, where framed black and white photos of an Asian man and woman stood between two sticks of incense in front of a red backdrop decorated with gold lettering.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bentley Little"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bentley-little/we-believe-that-the-dead-have-power-may-translated-the-old-man/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Black and white"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bentley-little/we-believe-that-the-dead-have-power-may-translated-the-old-man/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/637/bentley-little-20269_black-and-white_we-believe-that-the-dead-have-power-may_3037427.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/637/bentley-little-20269_black-and-white_we-believe-that-the-dead-have-power-may_3037427.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/637/bentley-little-20269_black-and-white_we-believe-that-the-dead-have-power-may_3037427.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We believe that the dead have power,” May translated. The old man gestured toward the corner of his room…” — Bentley Little",
                "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": "Bentley Little",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bentley-little/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“We believe that the dead have...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bentley-little/we-believe-that-the-dead-have-power-may-translated-the-old-man/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bentley-little/we-believe-that-the-dead-have-power-may-translated-the-old-man/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
