--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My mother, for example, told the German…" description: "\"My mother, for example, told the German officer not to kill her. She'd make it worth his while. And then, when they were doing it, she pulled a knife o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86e/etgar-keret-2656_belts_my-mother-for-example-told-the-german-of_1911207.png" --- # My mother, for example, told the German officer not to… ![“My mother, for example, told the German officer not to kill her. She'd make it worth his while. And then, when they were doing it, she pulled a knife out of her belt and sliced open his chest, just like she used to open chicken breasts to stuff with rice for the Sabbath meal.” quote by Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86e/etgar-keret-2656_belts_my-mother-for-example-told-the-german-of_1911207.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86e/etgar-keret-2656_belts_my-mother-for-example-told-the-german-of_1911207.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86e/etgar-keret-2656_belts_my-mother-for-example-told-the-german-of_1911207.png) > “My mother, for example, told the German officer not to kill her. She'd make it worth his while. And then, when they were doing it, she pulled a knife out of her belt and sliced open his chest, just like she used to open chicken breasts to stuff with rice for the Sabbath meal.” [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) ## 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 defies a soldier by turning a moment of oppression into violent resistance, using domestic skill as a weapon. **In simple terms:** A mother fights back using her cooking knife. Key Takeaway Use unexpected resources to resist oppression. Themes courage resistance family violence Mood defiant grim heroic Type narrative historical dramatic When to use this quote - wartime occupation - family protection - civil disobedience Key Concepts Moral agency subversion gender roles Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to fight with the tools of daily life? - Can resistance be both protective and destructive? A Different Perspective Violence may perpetuate trauma and moral ambiguity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Officers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/officers/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Sabbath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sabbath/) ## Related quotes > [“As my orderly Erich Beck later wrote, “We admired our opponents for their national pride and commitment. They demanded our respect. We heard that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-von-luck/as-my-orderly-erich-beck-later-wrote-we-admired-our-opponents-for/) [Hans von Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-von-luck/) > [I think the biggest reason I was able to express myself and not be intimidated was by not having a mother. 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Stunt man went one way, and I went the same way and had a few stitches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brosnan/i-ve-had-my-face-sliced-open-one-day-stunt-man-went-one-way-and-i/) [Pierce Brosnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brosnan/) > [“Certain things in life will cut you open like a knife. When that happens—at that exposing moment—the world gets a glimpse of what’s truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/certain-things-in-life-will-cut-you-open-like-a-knife-when-that/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [God is not merely at your fingertips but within your grasp. Live each day like a child digging through an antique treasure chest rifling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-feinberg/god-is-not-merely-at-your-fingertips-but-within-your-grasp-live-each/) [Margaret Feinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-feinberg/) > [Dolly Parton, who said to her doctor, Are you sure it's a chest cold? 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You just have to say to them, "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etgar-keret/there-should-be-an-age-limit-for-patients-he-thinks-as-he-takes-off/) [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) > [I usually start writing stories from tone and not from content - kind of like people who create music and invent the lyrics later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etgar-keret/i-usually-start-writing-stories-from-tone-and-not-from-content-kind/) [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) > [Rabbits are played. Nowadays it's all about the turtles. Tell them it's a ninja, they'll freak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etgar-keret/rabbits-are-played-nowadays-it-s-all-about-the-turtles-tell-them-it-s/) [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) > [“She said I should pick the hall and the date and whatever I want, because it really doesn’t matter to her. 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Sometimes I can actually picture her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etgar-keret/i-think-she-cried-at-my-funeral-it-s-not-that-i-m-conceited-or/) [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) > [“Dice que no la amo de verdad. Que digo que la quiero, que creo que la quiero, pero que no. He oído a más…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etgar-keret/dice-que-no-la-amo-de-verdad-que-digo-que-la-quiero-que-creo-que-la/) [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) [Explore all 150 Etgar Keret quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) ## More Belts quotes > [In our society we have hard nerds and soft nerds. The hard nerds are the ones who used to have the slide rules at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/in-our-society-we-have-hard-nerds-and-soft-nerds-the-hard-nerds-are/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [The tie's a multi purpose accessory, y'know, belt, school boy, Rambo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-fielding/the-tie-s-a-multi-purpose-accessory-y-know-belt-school-boy-rambo/) [Noel Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-fielding/) > [I find it frustrating when people wear belts with braces. That's an interesting one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olly-murs/i-find-it-frustrating-when-people-wear-belts-with-braces-that-s-an/) [Olly Murs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olly-murs/) > [A lot of the time, if I have samples, I can't tailor a sample. Or, I might have just bought something and I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-palermo/a-lot-of-the-time-if-i-have-samples-i-can-t-tailor-a-sample-or-i/) [Olivia Palermo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-palermo/) > [There's an expectation these days that novels - like any other consumer product - should be made on a production line, with one dropping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/there-s-an-expectation-these-days-that-novels-like-any-other-consumer/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [Yes?' Joe Solomon sounded like someone with far better things to do. 'Is there any homework?' she asked, and the class turned instantly from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-carter/yes-joe-solomon-sounded-like-someone-with-far-better-things-to-do-is/) [Ally Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-carter/) > [What is golden is miles under your belt, miles, miles, miles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-andretti/what-is-golden-is-miles-under-your-belt-miles-miles-miles/) [Mario Andretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-andretti/) > [I don't just want the belt, I want every one of their heads on a plate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-mcgregor/i-don-t-just-want-the-belt-i-want-every-one-of-their-heads-on-a-plate/) [Conor McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-mcgregor/) > [To pray only when in peril is to use safety belts only in heavy traffic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrie-ten-boom/to-pray-only-when-in-peril-is-to-use-safety-belts-only-in-heavy/) [Corrie Ten Boom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrie-ten-boom/) > [In his study of Atlanta over the last 60 years, Kevin Kruse convincingly describes the critical connections between race, Sun Belt suburbanization, the rise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-carter/in-his-study-of-atlanta-over-the-last-60-years-kevin-kruse/) Dan Carter > [I have ten marathons under my belt, including four New York races and one Boston.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mackay/i-have-ten-marathons-under-my-belt-including-four-new-york-races-and/) [Harvey Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mackay/) > [Microsoft is still not a black belt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kutaragi/microsoft-is-still-not-a-black-belt/) [Ken Kutaragi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kutaragi/) > [It makes my skin crawl to think about the violent ways snakes, lizards, alligators and other exotic creatures are raised and killed for boots,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-brook/it-makes-my-skin-crawl-to-think-about-the-violent-ways-snakes-lizards/) [Kelly Brook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-brook/) > [Sorry,” he said. “Let me drop the belt-" “No.” She held on when he would have pulled away. “Don’t. 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