--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I spent the day gathering flowers and…" description: "\"“I spent the day gathering flowers and weaving them into festoons, while the dead body of my father was lying within a mile of me. What cared my owners..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/harriet-a-jacobs-65907_american-history_i-spent-the-day-gathering-flowers-and-we_1296675.jpg" --- # I spent the day gathering flowers and weaving them into… ![“I spent the day gathering flowers and weaving them into festoons, while the dead body of my father was lying within a mile of me. What cared my owners for that? he was merely a piece of property. Moreover, they thought he had spoiled his children, by teaching them to feel that they were human…” quote by Harriet A. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/harriet-a-jacobs-65907_american-history_i-spent-the-day-gathering-flowers-and-we_1296675.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/harriet-a-jacobs-65907_american-history_i-spent-the-day-gathering-flowers-and-we_1296675.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/harriet-a-jacobs-65907_american-history_i-spent-the-day-gathering-flowers-and-we_1296675.jpg) > ““I spent the day gathering flowers and weaving them into festoons, while the dead body of my father was lying within a mile of me. What cared my owners for that? he was merely a piece of property. Moreover, they thought he had spoiled his children, by teaching them to feel that they were human beings.”” Harriet A. Jacobs ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even in tragedy, daily life continues; humanity persists amidst dehumanization. **In simple terms:** Life goes on despite suffering. Key Takeaway Find humanity in small acts. Themes suffering humanity resilience Mood somber reflective Type historical emotive When to use this quote - slavery - personal reflection - historical study Key Concepts dehumanization family memory Questions to Reflect On - How do ordinary tasks provide comfort in crisis? - What does this reveal about human dignity? A Different Perspective May trigger emotional distress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-history/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) ## Related quotes > [“When the mother was delivered into the trader's hands, she said, "You promised to treat me well." To which he replied, "You have let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-a-jacobs/when-the-mother-was-delivered-into-the-trader-s-hands-she-said-you/) Harriet A. Jacobs > [I was ordered to go for flowers, that my mistress's house might be decorated for an evening party. I spent the day gathering flowers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-ann-jacobs/i-was-ordered-to-go-for-flowers-that-my-mistress-s-house-might-be/) [Harriet Ann Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-ann-jacobs/) > [“Render your body to them" his father had taught, "but know your soul belongs to God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/render-your-body-to-them-his-father-had-taught-but-know-your-soul/) [Edward P. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-p-jones/) > [The body, what is it, Father, but a sign To love the force that grows us, to give back What in Thy palm is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-shapiro/the-body-what-is-it-father-but-a-sign-to-love-the-force-that-grows-us/) [Karl Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-shapiro/) > [The original Greek meaning of the word anthology is a collection or gathering of flowers in bloom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-garmey/the-original-greek-meaning-of-the-word-anthology-is-a-collection-or/) Jane Garmey > [Do not spend the day in gathering flowers by the way side, lest night come upon you before you arrive at your journey's end,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-watts/do-not-spend-the-day-in-gathering-flowers-by-the-way-side-lest-night/) [Isaac Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-watts/) > [“I have myself known two southern wives who exhorted their husbands to free those slaves towards whom they stood in a "parental relation;" and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-a-jacobs/i-have-myself-known-two-southern-wives-who-exhorted-their-husbands-to/) Harriet A. Jacobs > [The only thing we have to fear is fear itself-and possibly teh bogey man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-paulsen/the-only-thing-we-have-to-fear-is-fear-itself-and-possibly-teh-bogey/) [Pat Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-paulsen/) > [We must not falsely teach American history in our schools. We have a law requiring state textbook oversight to guard against frauds like Zinn,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-daniels/we-must-not-falsely-teach-american-history-in-our-schools-we-have-a/) [Mitch Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-daniels/) > [The problem that we have is that most Americans don't even study American history, let alone Pinochet, Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin and all these guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/the-problem-that-we-have-is-that-most-americans-don-t-even-study/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [No man-made structure in all of American history has been hated so much, by so many, for so long, with such good reason, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/no-man-made-structure-in-all-of-american-history-has-been-hated-so/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [John Lane has long been recognized as one of the South's finest poets and memoirists. This debut establishes him as one of our finest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-rash/john-lane-has-long-been-recognized-as-one-of-the-south-s-finest-poets/) [Ron Rash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-rash/) > [“In December of 2007 human bones including skulls, which have been radiocarbon dated back to between 1304 and 1424, were found in a museum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-one/in-december-of-2007-human-bones-including-skulls-which-have-been/) Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One > [Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-prescott/don-t-fire-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes/) [William H. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-prescott/) > [Adam Clayton Powell's entire political career has to be looked at in the entire context of the American history and the history of, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/adam-clayton-powell-s-entire-political-career-has-to-be-looked-at-in/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) ## More by Harriet A. Jacobs > [“When the mother was delivered into the trader's hands, she said, "You promised to treat me well." To which he replied, "You have let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-a-jacobs/when-the-mother-was-delivered-into-the-trader-s-hands-she-said-you/) Harriet A. Jacobs > [“I have myself known two southern wives who exhorted their husbands to free those slaves towards whom they stood in a "parental relation;" and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-a-jacobs/i-have-myself-known-two-southern-wives-who-exhorted-their-husbands-to/) Harriet A. Jacobs > [“O, you happy free women, contrast your New Year's day with that of the poor bond-woman! With you it is a pleasant season, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-a-jacobs/o-you-happy-free-women-contrast-your-new-year-s-day-with-that-of-the/) Harriet A. Jacobs Explore all 4 Harriet A. Jacobs quotes ## More American history quotes > [Adam Clayton Powell's entire political career has to be looked at in the entire context of the American history and the history of, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/adam-clayton-powell-s-entire-political-career-has-to-be-looked-at-in/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-prescott/don-t-fire-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes/) [William H. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-prescott/) > [“In December of 2007 human bones including skulls, which have been radiocarbon dated back to between 1304 and 1424, were found in a museum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-one/in-december-of-2007-human-bones-including-skulls-which-have-been/) Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One > [John Lane has long been recognized as one of the South's finest poets and memoirists. This debut establishes him as one of our finest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-rash/john-lane-has-long-been-recognized-as-one-of-the-south-s-finest-poets/) [Ron Rash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-rash/) > [No man-made structure in all of American history has been hated so much, by so many, for so long, with such good reason, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/no-man-made-structure-in-all-of-american-history-has-been-hated-so/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [The problem that we have is that most Americans don't even study American history, let alone Pinochet, Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin and all these guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/the-problem-that-we-have-is-that-most-americans-don-t-even-study/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [We must not falsely teach American history in our schools. We have a law requiring state textbook oversight to guard against frauds like Zinn,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-daniels/we-must-not-falsely-teach-american-history-in-our-schools-we-have-a/) [Mitch Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-daniels/) > [The only thing we have to fear is fear itself-and possibly teh bogey man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-paulsen/the-only-thing-we-have-to-fear-is-fear-itself-and-possibly-teh-bogey/) [Pat Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-paulsen/) > [“Thanks in part to the rapid mechanization of cotton production in the early 1940s, which ultimately threw millions of farm laborers out of work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-patterson/thanks-in-part-to-the-rapid-mechanization-of-cotton-production-in-the/) [James T. Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-patterson/) > [“dark say: berthenia belle never forget the tongue hid name”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathleen-margaret/dark-say-berthenia-belle-never-forget-the-tongue-hid-name/) [Cathleen Margaret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathleen-margaret/) > [Throughout American history many of our social gains and much of our progress toward democracy were made possible by the active intervention of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-washington/throughout-american-history-many-of-our-social-gains-and-much-of-our/) [Harold Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-washington/) > [Modern Democrats aren't the first political party to abuse power - far from it. Obama isn'€™t the first president to abuse executive power -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harsanyi/modern-democrats-aren-t-the-first-political-party-to-abuse-power-far/) [David Harsanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harsanyi/) > [Medicare and Social Security have created the healthiest and most financially secure generation of senior citizens in American history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-walsh/medicare-and-social-security-have-created-the-healthiest-and-most/) [Jim Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-walsh/) > [The school curriculum today, particularly American history, is a shame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-school-curriculum-today-particularly-american-history-is-a-shame/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [“I used to walk out, at night, to the breakwater which divides the end of the harbor form the broad moor of the salt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-doty/i-used-to-walk-out-at-night-to-the-breakwater-which-divides-the-end/) [Mark Doty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-doty/) [Browse all 685 American history quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-history/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I spent the day gathering flowers and weaving them into festoons, while the dead body of my father was lying within a mile of me. 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