--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We cannot turn away,” Miss Woolf told…" description: "\"“We cannot turn away,” Miss Woolf told her, “we must get on with our job and we must bear witness.” What did that mean, Ursula wondered. “It means,” Mi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c45/kate-atkinson-1265_remember_we-cannot-turn-away-miss-woolf-told-her_968807.jpg" --- # We cannot turn away,” Miss Woolf told her, “we must get on… ![“We cannot turn away,” Miss Woolf told her, “we must get on with our job and we must bear witness.” What did that mean, Ursula wondered. “It means,” Miss Woolf said, “that we must remember these people when we are safely in the future.” “And if we are killed?” “Then others must remember us .” quote by Kate Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c45/kate-atkinson-1265_remember_we-cannot-turn-away-miss-woolf-told-her_968807.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c45/kate-atkinson-1265_remember_we-cannot-turn-away-miss-woolf-told-her_968807.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c45/kate-atkinson-1265_remember_we-cannot-turn-away-miss-woolf-told-her_968807.jpg) > ““We cannot turn away,” Miss Woolf told her, “we must get on with our job and we must bear witness.” What did that mean, Ursula wondered. “It means,” Miss Woolf said, “that we must remember these people when we are safely in the future.” “And if we are killed?” “Then others must remember us .”” [Kate Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-atkinson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Witnessing and remembering history preserves humanity and moral duty. **In simple terms:** Remember past to guide future. Key Takeaway Commit to bearing witness. Themes memory responsibility history Mood somber reflective Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - education - activism - family storytelling Key Concepts ethics collective memory Questions to Reflect On - How do you honor those lost? - What responsibilities come with remembrance? A Different Perspective May be painful to recall trauma. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) [Remember People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember-people/) [Said Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-remember-569844/) [Woolf Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woolf-said-1017704/) [Woolf Told](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woolf-told-1845881/) ## Related quotes > [“Stella was one of Mr Bullock’s ‘chorus girls’ and confessed (readily) to being a ‘striptease artiste’ but Mr Armitage the opera singer said, “We’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-atkinson/stella-was-one-of-mr-bullock-s-chorus-girls-and-confessed-readily-to/) [Kate Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-atkinson/) > [“He had been very keen on Esperanto, which had seemed an absurd eccentricity at the time but now Ursula thought it might be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-atkinson/he-had-been-very-keen-on-esperanto-which-had-seemed-an-absurd/) [Kate Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-atkinson/) > [In the end I created a career of my own, concentrating on my writing and lecturing, reaching larger audiences than I would had I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-parenti/in-the-end-i-created-a-career-of-my-own-concentrating-on-my-writing/) [Michael Parenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-parenti/) > [Needless to say, the business of living interferes with the solitude so needed for any work of the imagination. 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