--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: . “Manman tells papa, you cannot let them…" description: "\"“. “Manman tells papa, you cannot let them kill somebody just because you are afraid. Papa says, oh yes, you can let them kill somebody because you are..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f9/edwidge-danticat-2559_papa-says_manman-tells-papa-you-cannot-let-them-ki_469087.png" --- # . “Manman tells papa, you cannot let them kill somebody… ![“. “Manman tells papa, you cannot let them kill somebody just because you are afraid. Papa says, oh yes, you can let them kill somebody because you are afraid. They are the law. It is their right.” quote by Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f9/edwidge-danticat-2559_papa-says_manman-tells-papa-you-cannot-let-them-ki_469087.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f9/edwidge-danticat-2559_papa-says_manman-tells-papa-you-cannot-let-them-ki_469087.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f9/edwidge-danticat-2559_papa-says_manman-tells-papa-you-cannot-let-them-ki_469087.png) > ““. “Manman tells papa, you cannot let them kill somebody just because you are afraid. Papa says, oh yes, you can let them kill somebody because you are afraid. They are the law. It is their right.”” [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A dialogue shows how fear can justify allowing harm, highlighting moral conflict between law and conscience. **In simple terms:** Fear can make people accept injustice. Key Takeaway Question authority when fear drives decisions. Themes ethics fear law Mood urgent reflective Type political philosophical When to use this quote - parenting - political activism - community leadership - conflict resolution Key Concepts moral philosophy social justice Questions to Reflect On - When have you let fear dictate your actions? - How can you stand up against unjust laws? A Different Perspective Fear may be used to manipulate and suppress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [Don't be afraid of me. I'm a law maker I'm not a law breaker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geert-wilders/don-t-be-afraid-of-me-i-m-a-law-maker-i-m-not-a-law-breaker/) [Geert Wilders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geert-wilders/) > [“I shall give you lovely food; and Papa says that lovely food is the one thing that ever really makes a man give himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-von-arnim/i-shall-give-you-lovely-food-and-papa-says-that-lovely-food-is-the/) [Elizabeth von Arnim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-von-arnim/) > [“Papa says if you don't watch it people will force you one way or the other, into doing what they think you should do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/papa-says-if-you-don-t-watch-it-people-will-force-you-one-way-or-the/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [The boy heaved a sigh. "I would ask to go with you," he said, " but I have to finish my lessons. I so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/the-boy-heaved-a-sigh-i-would-ask-to-go-with-you-he-said-but-i-have/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [“Yes,' said Catherine, stroking his long soft hair, 'if I could only get papa's consent, I'd spend half my time with you - Pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/yes-said-catherine-stroking-his-long-soft-hair-if-i-could-only-get/) [Emily Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [ “We're not like God, \[Papa\] says. We can't know. We can't live like we do know or should have known.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-meissner/we-re-not-like-god-papa-says-we-can-t-know-we-can-t-live-like-we-do/) [Susan Meissner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-meissner/) > [“I wasn’t sure I’d heard him right and I started to shake my head, but Matty piped up. “It’s a second chance,” he said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-kennedy/i-wasn-t-sure-i-d-heard-him-right-and-i-started-to-shake-my-head-but/) [Sloane Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-kennedy/) > [“Papa says curses are only stories cooked up to deter thieves. 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'The pursuit of happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/then-what-do-you-want-with-me-the-pursuit-of-happiness/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [I wanted to raise the voice of a lot of the people that I knew growing up, and this was, for the most part,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/i-wanted-to-raise-the-voice-of-a-lot-of-the-people-that-i-knew/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [Creating these messes that go from administration to administration and then you swoop in and clean them up - with that heroic Delta force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/creating-these-messes-that-go-from-administration-to-administration/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [“Nineteen Thirty-Seven”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/nineteen-thirty-seven/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [“From her experience working with the weak and the sick, she'd learned that the disease you ignore is the one that kills you, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/from-her-experience-working-with-the-weak-and-the-sick-she-d-learned/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [I'm not saying Cubans don't deserve asylum, but if it is a national security issue, there are people who are coming from Cuba on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/i-m-not-saying-cubans-don-t-deserve-asylum-but-if-it-is-a-national/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [“I owe Oprah and that show a tremendous debt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/i-owe-oprah-and-that-show-a-tremendous-debt/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [The greatest gift anyone can give to a writer is time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/the-greatest-gift-anyone-can-give-to-a-writer-is-time/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [I think it is important to reach people through arts and literature, because then you establish a connection that's not an instant crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/i-think-it-is-important-to-reach-people-through-arts-and-literature/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [All anyone can hope for is just a tiny bit of love, like a drop in a cup if you can get it, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/all-anyone-can-hope-for-is-just-a-tiny-bit-of-love-like-a-drop-in-a/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [I very much love a physical book myself. I think people who have had this experience of also seeing a book come together, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/i-very-much-love-a-physical-book-myself-i-think-people-who-have-had/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) [Explore all 161 Edwidge Danticat quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) ## More Papa Says quotes > [“I shall give you lovely food; and Papa says that lovely food is the one thing that ever really makes a man give himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-von-arnim/i-shall-give-you-lovely-food-and-papa-says-that-lovely-food-is-the/) [Elizabeth von Arnim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-von-arnim/) > [“Papa says if you don't watch it people will force you one way or the other, into doing what they think you should do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/papa-says-if-you-don-t-watch-it-people-will-force-you-one-way-or-the/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [The boy heaved a sigh. "I would ask to go with you," he said, " but I have to finish my lessons. I so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/the-boy-heaved-a-sigh-i-would-ask-to-go-with-you-he-said-but-i-have/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [“Yes,' said Catherine, stroking his long soft hair, 'if I could only get papa's consent, I'd spend half my time with you - Pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/yes-said-catherine-stroking-his-long-soft-hair-if-i-could-only-get/) [Emily Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [ “We're not like God, \[Papa\] says. We can't know. We can't live like we do know or should have known.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-meissner/we-re-not-like-god-papa-says-we-can-t-know-we-can-t-live-like-we-do/) [Susan Meissner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-meissner/) > [“I wasn’t sure I’d heard him right and I started to shake my head, but Matty piped up. “It’s a second chance,” he said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-kennedy/i-wasn-t-sure-i-d-heard-him-right-and-i-started-to-shake-my-head-but/) [Sloane Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-kennedy/) > [“Papa says curses are only stories cooked up to deter thieves. He says there are sixty-five million specimens in this place, and if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/papa-says-curses-are-only-stories-cooked-up-to-deter-thieves-he-says/) [Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/) Browse all 8 Papa Says quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“. “Manman tells papa, you cannot let them kill somebody just because you are afraid. Papa says, oh yes, you can let them kill somebody because you are afraid. They are the law. 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