Fitness Quote by John Steinbeck
““Ma raised her eyes to the girl’s face. Ma’s eyes were patient, but the lines of strain were on her forehead…. “When you’re young, Rosasharn, ever’thing that happens is a thing all by itself. It’s a lonely thing. I know, I ‘member, Rosasharn.” Her mouth loved the name of her daughter. “You’re gonna have a baby, Rosasharn, and that’s somepin to you lonely and away. That’s gonna hurt you, an’the hurt’ll be lonely hurt, an’ this here tent is alone in the worl’, Rosasharn.” She whipped the air for a moment to drive a buzzing blow fly on, and the big shining fly circled the tent twice and zoomed out into the blinding sunlight. And Ma went on, “They’s a time of change, and when that comes, dyin’ is a piece of all dyin’, and bearin’ is a piece of all bearin’, an bearin’ an’ dyin’ is two pieces of the same thing. An’ then things ain’t lonely any more. An’ then a hurt don’t hurt so bad, ’cause it ain’t a lonely hurt no more, Rosasharn. I wisht I could tell you so you’d know, but I can’t.” And her voice was so soft, so full of love, that tears crowded into Rose of Sharon’s eyes, and flowed over eyes and blinded her.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck, 1939
A mother comforts her daughter, explaining that pain and loneliness are shared parts of life, and that transformation can ease suffering.
In simple terms: Pain is shared and can become less lonely through change.
Key Takeaway
Embrace shared hardship and hope for relief.
Themes
family
suffering
growth
Mood
empathetic
hopeful
Type
narrative
emotional
When to use this quote
- parental guidance
- grief coping
- community support
Key Concepts
intergenerational wisdom
acceptance
resilience
Questions to Reflect On
- How can shared experience lessen personal pain?
- What role does hope play in enduring hardship?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor of “lonely hurt” may oversimplify complex trauma.
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