--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Later, when his father left him, the boy…" description: "\"“Later, when his father left him, the boy cried over his pet, until eventually his father sent a servant to take the body of the bird away and bury it...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b7/cassandra-clare-9_loss_later-when-his-father-left-him-the-boy-c_1669778.jpg" --- # Later, when his father left him, the boy cried over his… ![“Later, when his father left him, the boy cried over his pet, until eventually his father sent a servant to take the body of the bird away and bury it. The boy never cried again, and he never forgot what he'd learned: that to love is to destroy, and that to be loved is to be the one destroyed.” quote by Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b7/cassandra-clare-9_loss_later-when-his-father-left-him-the-boy-c_1669778.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b7/cassandra-clare-9_loss_later-when-his-father-left-him-the-boy-c_1669778.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b7/cassandra-clare-9_loss_later-when-his-father-left-him-the-boy-c_1669778.jpg) > ““Later, when his father left him, the boy cried over his pet, until eventually his father sent a servant to take the body of the bird away and bury it. The boy never cried again, and he never forgot what he'd learned: that to love is to destroy, and that to be loved is to be the one destroyed.”” [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A boy learns that love entails sacrifice and pain, equating love with destruction. **In simple terms:** Love can feel like destruction. Key Takeaway Recognize love's complexities. Themes love loss destruction Mood melancholic thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - breakups - grief counseling - literary analysis Key Concepts Sacrificial love psychological trauma Questions to Reflect On - Is love always linked to pain? - How do we differentiate healthy sacrifice? A Different Perspective Equating love with harm may romanticize abuse. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boy Cried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boy-cried-845892/) [Bury Boy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bury-boy-845891/) [Destroyed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroyed/) [Father Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father-left/) [Loss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loss/) [Loved Destroyed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loved-destroyed-786997/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Pets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pets/) ## Related quotes > [“The boy never cried again, and he never forgot what he'd learned: that love is to destroy, and that to be loved is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-boy-never-cried-again-and-he-never-forgot-what-he-d-learned-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I loved you! I loved you and you destroyed me. You took my heart and ripped it up. You might as well have staked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/i-loved-you-i-loved-you-and-you-destroyed-me-you-took-my-heart-and/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“to love is to destroy and that to be loved is the one to be destroyed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/to-love-is-to-destroy-and-that-to-be-loved-is-the-one-to-be-destroyed/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“To love is to destroy, and to be loved is to be destroyed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/to-love-is-to-destroy-and-to-be-loved-is-to-be-destroyed/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“To love is to destroy, and that to be loved is to be destroyed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/to-love-is-to-destroy-and-that-to-be-loved-is-to-be-destroyed/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“That to love is to destroy, and that to be loved is to be the one destroyed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/that-to-love-is-to-destroy-and-that-to-be-loved-is-to-be-the-one/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [to love is to destroy, and that to be loved is to be the one destroyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/to-love-is-to-destroy-and-that-to-be-loved-is-to-be-the-one-destroyed/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“To love is to destroy, and to be loved is to be the one destroyed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/to-love-is-to-destroy-and-to-be-loved-is-to-be-the-one-destroyed/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“As long as the unfaithfulness drags the reliability down in the dungeon, nothing can clear it up, as the story of the boy who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hadas-moosazadeh/as-long-as-the-unfaithfulness-drags-the-reliability-down-in-the/) [Hadas Moosazadeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hadas-moosazadeh/) > [&& The boy cried to God, Why did I lose her? 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Who will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antwone-fisher/who-will-cry-for-the-little-boy-lost-and-all-alone-who-will-cry-for/) [Antwone Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antwone-fisher/) > [When I was a little boy I cried for that special toy, now that I'm grown up, I'm crying for that special girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-i-was-a-little-boy-i-cried-for-that-special-toy-now-that-i-m/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Even the boy who cried wolf was right about the wolf once.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/even-the-boy-who-cried-wolf-was-right-about-the-wolf-once/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [“I feel like the boy who cried wolf, even though I know even less about politics.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-feel-like-the-boy-who-cried-wolf-even-though-i-know-even-less-about/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Power is being told you're not loved and not being destroyed by it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/power-is-being-told-you-re-not-loved-and-not-being-destroyed-by-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Cassandra Clare > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“So Jace is my actual family," Kit said. "But I can't go live with him, because him and his hot girlfriend are going off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/so-jace-is-my-actual-family-kit-said-but-i-can-t-go-live-with-him/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Clarissa," he said, "here with the vampire, I see. When things have settled a bit, we really must discuss you choice in pets..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/clarissa-he-said-here-with-the-vampire-i-see-when-things-have-settled/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [If you're texting Magnus to say 'I think u r kewl,' I'm going to kill you." "Who's Magnus?" Max inquired. 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It was the Blackthorn family motto: A bad law is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/lex-malla-lex-nulla-said-julian-with-a-regretful-wave-of-his-hand-it/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Maybe that was why she couldn't cry, she realized, staring dry-eyed at the ceiling. Because what was the point in crying when there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/maybe-that-was-why-she-couldn-t-cry-she-realized-staring-dry-eyed-at/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I'm memorable, its true." -Magnus, pg.229-](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-m-memorable-its-true-magnus-pg-229/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“There is more to living than not dying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/there-is-more-to-living-than-not-dying/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Unless there was a reason for me to stay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/unless-there-was-a-reason-for-me-to-stay/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Love didn't make you weak, it made you stronger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/love-didn-t-make-you-weak-it-made-you-stronger/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“I wasn’t just worried about him; I was worried about you, too. 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Nations are destroyed or flourish in proportion as their poetry, painting, and music are destroyed or flourish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/poetry-fettered-fetters-the-human-race-nations-are-destroyed-or/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [ Evil cannot be "treated" -- nor should it be. Evil has to \[be\] confronted and destroyed and it matters not why the evil is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/evil-cannot-be-treated-nor-should-it-be-evil-has-to-be-confronted-and/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [You know, I often thought that the gangster and the artist are the same in the eyes of the masses. 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