--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On the other side of the river and the…" description: "\"“On the other side of the river and the shattered ammunition dump swarmed the hundreds of men who had taken refuge weeks before in holes in the river b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/387/jon-e-lewis-249927_deserters_on-the-other-side-of-the-river-and-the-s_3187178.jpg" --- # On the other side of the river and the shattered… ![“On the other side of the river and the shattered ammunition dump swarmed the hundreds of men who had taken refuge weeks before in holes in the river banks in order to avoid the fighting, and whom Langlais compared to the crabs on tropical coasts. Dregs of humanity, deserters – Langlais could not…” quote by Jon E. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/387/jon-e-lewis-249927_deserters_on-the-other-side-of-the-river-and-the-s_3187178.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/387/jon-e-lewis-249927_deserters_on-the-other-side-of-the-river-and-the-s_3187178.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/387/jon-e-lewis-249927_deserters_on-the-other-side-of-the-river-and-the-s_3187178.jpg) > ““On the other side of the river and the shattered ammunition dump swarmed the hundreds of men who had taken refuge weeks before in holes in the river banks in order to avoid the fighting, and whom Langlais compared to the crabs on tropical coasts. Dregs of humanity, deserters – Langlais could not find words sufficiently contemptuous for them.”” [Jon E. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-e-lewis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Deserters hiding in riverbanks are likened to crabs, viewed contemptuously. **In simple terms:** They are seen as lowly and contemptible. Key Takeaway Consider humanity’s capacity for judgment. Themes war humanity morality Mood narrative critical Type Deserters:1 Taken Refuge:0 Deserters Langlais:0 Humanity Deserters:0 Swarmed Hundreds:0 When to use this quote - military history - human rights - social commentary Key Concepts history ethics Questions to Reflect On - What drives people to desert? - How does language shape perception? A Different Perspective Labeling may dehumanize and oversimplify. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Deserters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deserters-256266/) [Deserters Langlais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deserters-langlais-5864526/) [Humanity Deserters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity-deserters-5864527/) [Swarmed Hundreds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swarmed-hundreds-5864528/) [Taken Refuge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken-refuge-2424652/) ## Related quotes > [The power of the Good has taken refuge in the nature of the Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/the-power-of-the-good-has-taken-refuge-in-the-nature-of-the-beautiful/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [As our listeners will know, unless they've taken refuge at the bottom of a garden pond or somewhere similar, You-Know-Who's strategy of remaining in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-our-listeners-will-know-unless-they-ve-taken-refuge-at-the-bottom/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Courtesy is not dead - it has merely taken refuge in Great Britain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-duhamel/courtesy-is-not-dead-it-has-merely-taken-refuge-in-great-britain/) [Georges Duhamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-duhamel/) > [“He had taken a few days' leave from his army training and they had taken refuge in the Charing Cross Hotel while an unexploded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-atkinson/he-had-taken-a-few-days-leave-from-his-army-training-and-they-had/) [Kate Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-atkinson/) > [“Mustard gas was stubborn, clinging to the ground as long as three days. Heavier than air, it settled into craters and trenches where men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-e-persico/mustard-gas-was-stubborn-clinging-to-the-ground-as-long-as-three-days/) [Joseph E. Persico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-e-persico/) > [...until that moment I had not understood that this was a story about lonely people, about absence and loss, and that that was why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/until-that-moment-i-had-not-understood-that-this-was-a-story-about/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [In 1694 a law was passed "that every settler who deserted a town for fear of the Indians should forfeit all his rights therein."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-1694-a-law-was-passed-that-every-settler-who-deserted-a-town-for/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [On a visit to Cologne in March 1945, after a heavy bombing, I met hundreds and hundreds of deserters who were squatting in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/on-a-visit-to-cologne-in-march-1945-after-a-heavy-bombing-i-met/) [Heinrich Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [The environmental movement doesn't have many deserters and has a high level of recruitment. Eventually, there will be open war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/the-environmental-movement-doesn-t-have-many-deserters-and-has-a-high/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [“Of course vindictiveness is an ugly trait and, yes, I do mean to forgive all these nice deserters; I mean, eventually, to say, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leif-enger/of-course-vindictiveness-is-an-ugly-trait-and-yes-i-do-mean-to/) [Leif Enger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leif-enger/) > [Sir" said Mrs. Meade indignantly. "There are NO deserters in the Confederate army." "I beg your pardon," said Rhett with mock humility. "I meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mitchell/sir-said-mrs-meade-indignantly-there-are-no-deserters-in-the/) [Margaret Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mitchell/) > [ “\[W\]e cease to be soldiers in the army of the upright; we become deserters. They march to battle. We float with the sticks on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/w-e-cease-to-be-soldiers-in-the-army-of-the-upright-we-become/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Only the defeated and deserters go to war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/only-the-defeated-and-deserters-go-to-war/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The brave men die in war. It takes great luck or judgment not to be killed. Once, at least, the head has to bow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-giraudoux/the-brave-men-die-in-war-it-takes-great-luck-or-judgment-not-to-be/) [Jean Giraudoux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-giraudoux/) > [Every army in the history of the world has always had some deserters, usually much greater than we have today, because once again every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-hilferty/every-army-in-the-history-of-the-world-has-always-had-some-deserters/) [Bryan Hilferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-hilferty/) ## More Deserters quotes > [Every army in the history of the world has always had some deserters, usually much greater than we have today, because once again every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-hilferty/every-army-in-the-history-of-the-world-has-always-had-some-deserters/) [Bryan Hilferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-hilferty/) > [The brave men die in war. It takes great luck or judgment not to be killed. Once, at least, the head has to bow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-giraudoux/the-brave-men-die-in-war-it-takes-great-luck-or-judgment-not-to-be/) [Jean Giraudoux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-giraudoux/) > [Only the defeated and deserters go to war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/only-the-defeated-and-deserters-go-to-war/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [ “\[W\]e cease to be soldiers in the army of the upright; we become deserters. They march to battle. We float with the sticks on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/w-e-cease-to-be-soldiers-in-the-army-of-the-upright-we-become/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Sir" said Mrs. Meade indignantly. "There are NO deserters in the Confederate army." "I beg your pardon," said Rhett with mock humility. "I meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mitchell/sir-said-mrs-meade-indignantly-there-are-no-deserters-in-the/) [Margaret Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mitchell/) > [“Of course vindictiveness is an ugly trait and, yes, I do mean to forgive all these nice deserters; I mean, eventually, to say, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leif-enger/of-course-vindictiveness-is-an-ugly-trait-and-yes-i-do-mean-to/) [Leif Enger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leif-enger/) > [The environmental movement doesn't have many deserters and has a high level of recruitment. Eventually, there will be open war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/the-environmental-movement-doesn-t-have-many-deserters-and-has-a-high/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [On a visit to Cologne in March 1945, after a heavy bombing, I met hundreds and hundreds of deserters who were squatting in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/on-a-visit-to-cologne-in-march-1945-after-a-heavy-bombing-i-met/) [Heinrich Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [In 1694 a law was passed "that every settler who deserted a town for fear of the Indians should forfeit all his rights therein."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-1694-a-law-was-passed-that-every-settler-who-deserted-a-town-for/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [These deserters were our undoing. I shall have a good deal more to say about them before I finally lay down my pen, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiaan-rudolf-de-wet/these-deserters-were-our-undoing-i-shall-have-a-good-deal-more-to-say/) [Christiaan Rudolf de Wet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiaan-rudolf-de-wet/) > [ “\[Deserters\], they've given up everything. Oaths. Families. When you desert, it breaks you. It leaves you willing to do anything, because you've already given… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/deserters-they-ve-given-up-everything-oaths-families-when-you-desert/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [Rebel souls deserters we've been called. Chose a gun and threw away the sun now these towns they all know our names. The death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/five-finger-death-punch/rebel-souls-deserters-we-ve-been-called-chose-a-gun-and-threw-away/) [Five Finger Death Punch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/five-finger-death-punch/) > [I think Bowe Bergdahl, if he deserted, is a hero - I think throughout history we should build monuments to the unknown deserters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/i-think-bowe-bergdahl-if-he-deserted-is-a-hero-i-think-throughout/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [“Because people who decline organized leisure activities are deserters from the great common struggle against boredom, and they deserve neither attention nor helmets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/because-people-who-decline-organized-leisure-activities-are-deserters/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [As for those deserters, malcontents, radicals, incendiaries, the civil and uncivil disobedients among the young, SDS, PLP, Weathermen I and Weathermen II, the revolutionary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spiro-t-agnew/as-for-those-deserters-malcontents-radicals-incendiaries-the-civil/) [Spiro T. Agnew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spiro-t-agnew/) [Browse all 23 Deserters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deserters-256266/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“On the other side of the river and the shattered ammunition dump swarmed the hundreds of men who had taken refuge weeks before in holes in the river banks in order to avoid the fighting, and whom Langlais compared to the crabs on tropical coasts. Dregs of humanity, deserters – Langlais could not find words sufficiently contemptuous for them.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jon E. 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