--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One Time, One Day between Davie and…" description: "\"One Time, One Day between Davie and Roberta , I asked my mom why she persisted, kept on having baby after baby, She looked at me, at a spot between my ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/ellen-hopkins-475_arms_one-time-one-day-between-davie-and-rober_3210035.png" --- # One Time, One Day between Davie and Roberta , I asked my… ![“One Time, One Day between Davie and Roberta , I asked my mom why she persisted, kept on having baby after baby, She looked at me, at a spot between my eyes, blinking like I had suddenly fallen crazy. She paused before answering as if to confide would legitimize my fears. She drew a deep breath…” quote by Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/ellen-hopkins-475_arms_one-time-one-day-between-davie-and-rober_3210035.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/ellen-hopkins-475_arms_one-time-one-day-between-davie-and-rober_3210035.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/ellen-hopkins-475_arms_one-time-one-day-between-davie-and-rober_3210035.png) > “One Time, One Day between Davie and Roberta , I asked my mom why she persisted, kept on having baby after baby, She looked at me, at a spot between my eyes, blinking like I had suddenly fallen crazy. She paused before answering as if to confide would legitimize my fears. She drew a deep breath, leaned against the chair. I touched her hand and I thought she might cry. Instead she put baby Davie in my arms Pattyn, she said, it's a woman's role. I decided if it was my role, I'd rather disappear.” [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A mother explains her relentless childbearing as a duty, revealing personal sacrifice and societal expectations about gender roles. **In simple terms:** A mother sees having many children as her role, despite personal cost. Key Takeaway Recognize and question imposed gender expectations. Themes family gender roles parenting sacrifice identity Mood reflective empathetic thoughtful Type narrative personal social commentary When to use this quote - discussing family expectations - supporting mothers - examining gender norms - personal decision making Key Concepts social expectations maternal identity psychological conflict Questions to Reflect On - What expectations shape your view of gender roles? - How can we support mothers beyond traditional narratives? A Different Perspective The quote may romanticize hardship and overlook systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arms/) [Asked Mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asked-mom-548291/) [Baby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baby/) [Baby Looked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baby-looked-1534373/) [Chairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chairs/) [Crazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crazy/) [Cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/) [Deep breath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep-breath/) [Disappear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappear/) [Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye/) [Fallen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fallen/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mom/) [Mom Persisted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mom-persisted-5993934/) [My mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-mom/) [One day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-day/) [Roberta Asked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roberta-asked-5993933/) [Roles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roles/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Said Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-woman-1102616/) [Spots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spots/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Women 's roles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women-s-roles/) ## Related quotes > [I felt angry, frustrated. I felt I didn't belong, not in my church, not in my home, not in my skin. Amidst the chaos,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/i-felt-angry-frustrated-i-felt-i-didn-t-belong-not-in-my-church-not/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [“The baby looked at me as if to say, You never stop to consider my life. 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Then he felt something push…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamera-alexander/she-moved-to-the-other-side-then-around-behind-him-her-hands-in-his/) [Tamera Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamera-alexander/) > [We ask justice, we ask equality, we ask that all the civil and political rights that belong to citizens of the United States, be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-b-anthony/we-ask-justice-we-ask-equality-we-ask-that-all-the-civil-and/) [Susan B. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-b-anthony/) > [The history of American women is about the fight for freedom, but it's less a war against oppressive men than a struggle to straighten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/the-history-of-american-women-is-about-the-fight-for-freedom-but-it-s/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [Why, in the Peking Opera, are women's roles played by men?...Because only a man knows how a woman is supposed to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/why-in-the-peking-opera-are-women-s-roles-played-by-men-because-only/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [I think, certainly in the more civilized societies, women's roles are growing in power all of the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-quinn/i-think-certainly-in-the-more-civilized-societies-women-s-roles-are/) [Sally Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-quinn/) > [What I really want to do is create great roles for women. And I'm not talking Nicholas Sparks romance. I think women's roles have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-rosenberg/what-i-really-want-to-do-is-create-great-roles-for-women-and-i-m-not/) [Melissa Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-rosenberg/) > [If women’s role in life is limited solely to housewife/mother, it clearly ends when she can no longer bear more children and the children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-friedan/if-women-s-role-in-life-is-limited-solely-to-housewife-mother-it/) [Betty Friedan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-friedan/) > [I feel there is no shortage of real interesting women's roles. But I found them and did all of them just now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-gyllenhaal/i-feel-there-is-no-shortage-of-real-interesting-women-s-roles-but-i/) [Maggie Gyllenhaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-gyllenhaal/) > [Real equality in films is going to take time and will directly reflect our society. So ladies, please speak up at home, at work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-crampton/real-equality-in-films-is-going-to-take-time-and-will-directly/) [Barbara Crampton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-crampton/) > [ That's the really frustrating thing, but also the fixable thing. My theory why no one notices is that that's the \[women's roles\] ratio thing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geena-davis/that-s-the-really-frustrating-thing-but-also-the-fixable-thing-my/) [Geena Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geena-davis/) ## More by Ellen Hopkins > [“I've been alone since my mom met Scott. He sucked the nectar from her heart like a famished butterfly. No nurture, no nourishment left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/i-ve-been-alone-since-my-mom-met-scott-he-sucked-the-nectar-from-her/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [I wonder how long it would take him to realize I'm right as sin - it's the rest of the world that's wrong. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/i-wonder-how-long-it-would-take-him-to-realize-i-m-right-as-sin-it-s/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [Do you know how beautiful you are?' I shook my head 'I'm not. But you make me fell like I am.' I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/do-you-know-how-beautiful-you-are-i-shook-my-head-i-m-not-but-you/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [That's what I'll be. A silhouette, rarely seen, and yet believed in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/that-s-what-i-ll-be-a-silhouette-rarely-seen-and-yet-believed-in/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [One foot in front of the other, counting tiles on the floor so I don't have to focus the blur of painted smiles, fake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/one-foot-in-front-of-the-other-counting-tiles-on-the-floor-so-i-don-t/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [...life is all about chances. You might be safer not taking any. But playing it totally safe means you're only existing. Not living. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/life-is-all-about-chances-you-might-be-safer-not-taking-any-but/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [The truth is, I don't have a real clue what love is - how to find it, how to give it. Once upon a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/the-truth-is-i-don-t-have-a-real-clue-what-love-is-how-to-find-it-how/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [But death doesn't scare me. To know exactly when I might expect it, up close and in my face, would actually be a comfort.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/but-death-doesn-t-scare-me-to-know-exactly-when-i-might-expect-it-up/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [So You Want to Know All about her. Who she really is. (Was?) Why she swerved off the high road. Hard left to nowhere,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/so-you-want-to-know-all-about-her-who-she-really-is-was-why-she/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [“I don’t belong here. I know that. But I don’t belong anywhere else, either. And that is at the heart of the black depression…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/i-don-t-belong-here-i-know-that-but-i-don-t-belong-anywhere-else/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [Six months since we met up again we are inseparable, an intricate weave. No longer do I believe this is a temporary fling. More…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/six-months-since-we-met-up-again-we-are-inseparable-an-intricate/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [“But who ever said the easiest path is the one you should choose?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/but-who-ever-said-the-easiest-path-is-the-one-you-should-choose/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [Afraid to Die Loveless Because I think if you die without knowing love in this life, that's how you'll spend eternity. Alone. Frozen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/afraid-to-die-loveless-because-i-think-if-you-die-without-knowing/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [Every high has an equal, measurable low.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/every-high-has-an-equal-measurable-low/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [Don't Stop ...down, ...Down there ...down where ...monsters, ...Run!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/don-t-stop-down-down-there-down-where-monsters-run/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) [Explore all 534 Ellen Hopkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) ## More Arms quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) [Brian Reade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-reade/) > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Are we fighting?" I asked Morelli. "No. Were discussing." "Are you sure?" "Am I yelling?" Morelli asked. "Is my face purple? Are the cords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/are-we-fighting-i-asked-morelli-no-were-discussing-are-you-sure-am-i/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Comerado, this is no book,Who touches this, touches a man,(Is it night? Are we here alone?)It is I you hold, and who holds you,I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/comerado-this-is-no-book-who-touches-this-touches-a-man-is-it-night/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Even the stove and the refrigerator looked human, I mean good human - they seemed to have arms and voices and they said, hang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/even-the-stove-and-the-refrigerator-looked-human-i-mean-good-human/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I separated the joints, the arm joints, the leg joints, and had to do two boilings. I think I used four boxes of Soilex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-dahmer/i-separated-the-joints-the-arm-joints-the-leg-joints-and-had-to-do/) [Jeffrey Dahmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-dahmer/) > [More courage is required to forgive than is required to take up arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ramos-horta/more-courage-is-required-to-forgive-than-is-required-to-take-up-arms/) [Jose Ramos-Horta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ramos-horta/) > [It's been a long time since I asked anything of heaven, and my arms still haven't come down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-porchia/it-s-been-a-long-time-since-i-asked-anything-of-heaven-and-my-arms/) [Antonio Porchia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-porchia/) > [With those who are willing to join, let us cooperate to reduce the burden of arms, to strengthen the structure of peace, to lift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/with-those-who-are-willing-to-join-let-us-cooperate-to-reduce-the/) [Richard M. 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"I'm beginning to look forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-lindsey/another-step-had-her-backed-up-against-the-wall-and-he-braced-his/) [Johanna Lindsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-lindsey/) [Browse all 4,470 Arms quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arms/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "One Time, One Day between Davie and Roberta , I asked my mom why she persisted, kept on having baby after baby, She looked at me, at a spot between my eyes, blinking like I had suddenly fallen crazy. She paused before answering as if to confide would legitimize my fears. She drew a deep breath, leaned against the chair. I touched her hand and I thought she might cry. Instead she put baby Davie in my arms Pattyn, she said, it's a woman's role. 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