--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My father had put these things on the…" description: "\"My father had put these things on the table. I looked at him standing by the sink. He was washing his hands, splashing water on his face. My mamma left..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c92/jennifer-donnelly-1585_ashamed_my-father-had-put-these-things-on-the-ta_2156065.jpg" --- # My father had put these things on the table. I looked at… ![“My father had put these things on the table. I looked at him standing by the sink. He was washing his hands, splashing water on his face. My mamma left us. My brother, too. And now my feckless, reckless uncle had as well. My pa stayed, though. My pa always stayed. I looked at him. And saw the…” quote by Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c92/jennifer-donnelly-1585_ashamed_my-father-had-put-these-things-on-the-ta_2156065.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c92/jennifer-donnelly-1585_ashamed_my-father-had-put-these-things-on-the-ta_2156065.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c92/jennifer-donnelly-1585_ashamed_my-father-had-put-these-things-on-the-ta_2156065.jpg) > “My father had put these things on the table. I looked at him standing by the sink. He was washing his hands, splashing water on his face. My mamma left us. My brother, too. And now my feckless, reckless uncle had as well. My pa stayed, though. My pa always stayed. I looked at him. And saw the sweat stains on his shirt. And his big, scarred hands. And his dirty, weary face. I remembered how, lying in my bed a few nights before, I had looked forward to showing him my uncle's money. To telling him I was leaving. And I was so ashamed.” [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A son reflects on family loss and his father's steadfast presence amid hardship and betrayal. **In simple terms:** Family loss and a father's resilience are remembered. Key Takeaway Value steadfast support during turmoil. Themes family loss resilience Mood melancholic introspective Type literary emotional When to use this quote - sibling conflict - parental illness - personal growth Key Concepts memory grief inheritance Questions to Reflect On - What does the father symbolize? - How does loss shape identity? A Different Perspective The narrative may romanticize hardship. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ashamed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashamed/) [Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Feckless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feckless/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Reckless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reckless/) [Splashing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/splashing/) [Uncle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncle/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) ## Related quotes > [“A mother to a reckless, feckless, one-off of a child—but what child isn’t?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/a-mother-to-a-reckless-feckless-one-off-of-a-child-but-what-child-isn/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [You three have done quite enough today: all of you and your feckless, treacherous god.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-morris/you-three-have-done-quite-enough-today-all-of-you-and-your-feckless/) [Janet Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-morris/) > [Say German cars are sort of very built and efficient. Italian cars are a bit flamboyant and quick. Mexican cars just going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hammond/say-german-cars-are-sort-of-very-built-and-efficient-italian-cars-are/) [Richard Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hammond/) > [“It was not that he was feckless, more that he had simply not been around the day they handed out feck.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/it-was-not-that-he-was-feckless-more-that-he-had-simply-not-been/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Mexican cars are just going to be lazy, feckless, flatulent, overweight, leaning against a fence asleep looking at a cactus with a blanket with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hammond/mexican-cars-are-just-going-to-be-lazy-feckless-flatulent-overweight/) [Richard Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hammond/) > [There's an old proverb that says the Russian bear never dies, it just hibernates and the truth of the matter is the weak and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/there-s-an-old-proverb-that-says-the-russian-bear-never-dies-it-just/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [A major Iowa newspaper published an op-ed against Trump calling him a 'self-absorbed, wholly unqualified feckless blowhard.' Or as Trump put it, 'You forgot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/a-major-iowa-newspaper-published-an-op-ed-against-trump-calling-him-a/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [In the annals of American blunders, the Bay of Pigs may have been even more feckless, and the invasion of Iraq more costly, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/in-the-annals-of-american-blunders-the-bay-of-pigs-may-have-been-even/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [“Lucky for me, I could easily rely on one of my favorite tactics: acting like a feckless dipshit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-n-crawford/lucky-for-me-i-could-easily-rely-on-one-of-my-favorite-tactics-acting/) [C.N. Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-n-crawford/) > [In his recent book, When Brute Force Fails, UCLA's Kleiman argues that new strategies for targeting repeat offenders--including reforms to make probation an effective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-von-drehle/in-his-recent-book-when-brute-force-fails-ucla-s-kleiman-argues-that/) David Von Drehle > [I think that the S.E.C. has been pretty feckless when it comes to reigning in reckless behavior on Wall Street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-o-malley/i-think-that-the-s-e-c-has-been-pretty-feckless-when-it-comes-to/) [Martin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-o-malley/) > [The Jews had a love-hate relationship with the Greek culture. They craved its civilization but resented its dominance. Josephus says they regarded Greeks as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-jews-had-a-love-hate-relationship-with-the-greek-culture-they/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It may be that we have become so feckless as a people that we no longer care how things do work, but only what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jacobs/it-may-be-that-we-have-become-so-feckless-as-a-people-that-we-no/) [Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jacobs/) > [for someone such as myself, who is kind of feckless and immature, it's better to have rich friends than to be rich yourself, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/for-someone-such-as-myself-who-is-kind-of-feckless-and-immature-it-s/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [Listen, Mr. President, there's a no-fly zone in Syria. You fly in, it applies to you. And, yes, we would shoot down the planes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/listen-mr-president-there-s-a-no-fly-zone-in-syria-you-fly-in-it/) [Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/) ## More by Jennifer Donnelly > [“Yves G. Bonnard, archivero jefe, alias el Poderoso Oz, alias el Gran Inquisidor, alias el Anticristo.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/yves-g-bonnard-archivero-jefe-alias-el-poderoso-oz-alias-el-gran/) [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) > [“She wanted to scream her grief to the skies and wail like an animal, but she couldn't.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/she-wanted-to-scream-her-grief-to-the-skies-and-wail-like-an-animal/) [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) > [“ As sure as the seabirds in flight, As sure as the endless deep blue, My love is as certain as sunrise. I vow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/as-sure-as-the-seabirds-in-flight-as-sure-as-the-endless-deep-blue-my/) [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) > [Cripes Miss Wilcox, they're not guns,' I said. No, they're not Mattie, they're books. And a hundred times more dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/cripes-miss-wilcox-they-re-not-guns-i-said-no-they-re-not-mattie-they/) [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) > [He loves the sparkling fountains and their cascades and says the strangest things as he watches them. they look like stars breaking. Or, They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/he-loves-the-sparkling-fountains-and-their-cascades-and-says-the/) [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) > [Men are the weak ones, luv. Didn't you know? Oh, you make a lot of noise, but its the women who are strong. Where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/men-are-the-weak-ones-luv-didn-t-you-know-oh-you-make-a-lot-of-noise/) [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) > [“It's kind of beautiful, this scary world. I still want to go out of it as soon as possible, but when I look around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/it-s-kind-of-beautiful-this-scary-world-i-still-want-to-go-out-of-it/) [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) > [“Cry your grief to God. Howl to the heavens. Tear your shirt. Your hair. Your flesh. Gouge your eyes. Carve out your heart. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/cry-your-grief-to-god-howl-to-the-heavens-tear-your-shirt-your-hair/) [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) > [“Humans are selfish creatures who can always be counted on to do the wrong thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/humans-are-selfish-creatures-who-can-always-be-counted-on-to-do-the/) [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) > [Every heart is made of stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/every-heart-is-made-of-stories/) [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) > [DNA tells you all the secrets of life,’ he used to say. Except for one—how to live it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/dna-tells-you-all-the-secrets-of-life-he-used-to-say-except-for-one/) [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) > [Because beautiful things never last. Not roses nor snow… And not fireworks, either](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/because-beautiful-things-never-last-not-roses-nor-snow-and-not/) [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) > [There is only one thing I fear now-love. For I have seen it and I have felt it and I know that it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/there-is-only-one-thing-i-fear-now-love-for-i-have-seen-it-and-i-have/) [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) > [“I'm not snapping," I snapped.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/i-m-not-snapping-i-snapped/) [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) > [“And then I remember this morning and I wonder if it really happened or if I dreamed it. It was nice. And weird. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/and-then-i-remember-this-morning-and-i-wonder-if-it-really-happened/) [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) [Explore all 218 Jennifer Donnelly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) ## More Ashamed quotes > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I know what you're thinking... and you oughtta be ashamed of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-preston/i-know-what-you-re-thinking-and-you-oughtta-be-ashamed-of-yourself/) Robert Preston > [You never meet the writer when you're making a TV movie in America - they're too ashamed to show up and see how their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/you-never-meet-the-writer-when-you-re-making-a-tv-movie-in-america/) [Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/) > [I'm not ashamed of the things I believe and why I believe them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/i-m-not-ashamed-of-the-things-i-believe-and-why-i-believe-them/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [If, with all the time at my disposal, with all the wealth of the resources of this vast universe, to do with as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/if-with-all-the-time-at-my-disposal-with-all-the-wealth-of-the/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [“with her own life. And I was ashamed.” Humiliated. Broken. Miserable. If Wilcher had stood by Jaymee, if her father hadn’t berated her, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-green/with-her-own-life-and-i-was-ashamed-humiliated-broken-miserable-if/) Stacy Green > [You should avoid hedging, at least that's what I think. You should be ashamed to die until you've made some contribution to mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-johns/you-should-avoid-hedging-at-least-that-s-what-i-think-you-should-be/) Vernon Johns > [There was no mistake in us making abortion legal and available on demand. That was what we call progress. Just like it was no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ruffalo/there-was-no-mistake-in-us-making-abortion-legal-and-available-on/) [Mark Ruffalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ruffalo/) > [“When all are undressed, one is somehow not ashamed, but when one's the only one undressed and everybody is looking, it's degrading,' he kept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/when-all-are-undressed-one-is-somehow-not-ashamed-but-when-one-s-the/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [There are a great many colored people who are ashamed of the cake-walk, but I think they ought to be proud of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-weldon-johnson/there-are-a-great-many-colored-people-who-are-ashamed-of-the-cake/) [James Weldon Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-weldon-johnson/) > [I love him who is ashamed when the dice fall in his favour, and who then asketh: "Am I a dishonest player?" - for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/i-love-him-who-is-ashamed-when-the-dice-fall-in-his-favour-and-who/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zondervan-publishing/whoever-is-ashamed-of-me-and-my-words-the-son-of-man-will-be-ashamed/) [Zondervan Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zondervan-publishing/) > [You were never created to live depressed, defeated, guilty, condemned, ashamed or unworthy. You were created to be victorious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/you-were-never-created-to-live-depressed-defeated-guilty-condemned/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder to see them not ashamed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/i-never-wonder-to-see-men-wicked-but-i-often-wonder-to-see-them-not/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [“To survive during the Khmer Rouge, you had to steal, cheat, lie, point fingers at others, even kill. And now you are ashamed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-brinkley/to-survive-during-the-khmer-rouge-you-had-to-steal-cheat-lie-point/) [Joel Brinkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-brinkley/) [Browse all 1,607 Ashamed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashamed/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My father had put these things on the table. I looked at him standing by the sink. He was washing his hands, splashing water on his face. My mamma left us. My brother, too. And now my feckless, reckless uncle had as well. My pa stayed, though. My pa always stayed. I looked at him. And saw the sweat stains on his shirt. And his big, scarred hands. And his dirty, weary face. I remembered how, lying in my bed a few nights before, I had looked forward to showing him my uncle's money. To telling him I was leaving. And I was so ashamed.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jennifer Donnelly" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/my-father-had-put-these-things-on-the-table-i-looked-at-him-standing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ashamed" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/my-father-had-put-these-things-on-the-table-i-looked-at-him-standing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c92/jennifer-donnelly-1585_ashamed_my-father-had-put-these-things-on-the-ta_2156065.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c92/jennifer-donnelly-1585_ashamed_my-father-had-put-these-things-on-the-ta_2156065.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c92/jennifer-donnelly-1585_ashamed_my-father-had-put-these-things-on-the-ta_2156065.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My father had put these things on the table. I looked at him standing by the sink. He was washing his hands…” — Jennifer Donnelly", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jennifer Donnelly", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My father had put these things...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/my-father-had-put-these-things-on-the-table-i-looked-at-him-standing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/my-father-had-put-these-things-on-the-table-i-looked-at-him-standing/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```