--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She was an afterthought, little Martha…" description: "\"“She was an afterthought, little Martha. She was treated the way many families treated pet dogs - she had to be fed and cleaned every now and then, but..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8b/kelsey-brickl-28223_afterthought_she-was-an-afterthought-little-martha-sh_1929434.jpg" --- # She was an afterthought, little Martha. She was treated… ![“She was an afterthought, little Martha. She was treated the way many families treated pet dogs - she had to be fed and cleaned every now and then, but she was left to her own devices for the most part.” quote by Kelsey Brickl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8b/kelsey-brickl-28223_afterthought_she-was-an-afterthought-little-martha-sh_1929434.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8b/kelsey-brickl-28223_afterthought_she-was-an-afterthought-little-martha-sh_1929434.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8b/kelsey-brickl-28223_afterthought_she-was-an-afterthought-little-martha-sh_1929434.jpg) > ““She was an afterthought, little Martha. She was treated the way many families treated pet dogs - she had to be fed and cleaned every now and then, but she was left to her own devices for the most part.”” [Kelsey Brickl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-brickl/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Martha is treated as a secondary, almost pet-like presence, reflecting neglect and limited autonomy in family dynamics. **In simple terms:** Martha is ignored and left alone. Key Takeaway Recognize and value each family member's needs. Themes neglect family dynamics autonomy pet metaphor Mood sad reflective Type narrative emotional When to use this quote - parental care - sibling relationships - family gatherings Key Concepts human-animal hierarchy emotional neglect Questions to Reflect On - How does neglect affect a child's development? - What steps can families take to ensure all members feel valued? A Different Perspective Martha's agency is still limited despite basic care. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Pets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pets/) ## Related quotes > [Hate treated this way.. but no way to go still you EVEN miles a away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bad-aphol/hate-treated-this-way-but-no-way-to-go-still-you-even-miles-a-away/) Bad\_aphol > [I'm sick of being treated this way. Every damn thing I do is not right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-sick-of-being-treated-this-way-every-damn-thing-i-do-is-not-right/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The way he treated me & the way I treated him, the way we took care of each other & our family, while he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-druyan/the-way-he-treated-me-the-way-i-treated-him-the-way-we-took-care-of/) [Ann Druyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-druyan/) > [All people should be treated the same way on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chief-joseph/all-people-should-be-treated-the-same-way-on-earth/) [Chief Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chief-joseph/) > [The press are animals, and they need to be treated that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brock/the-press-are-animals-and-they-need-to-be-treated-that-way/) [David Brock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brock/) > [“Don't ask yourself, "Who's Right?" Ask yourself, "Do I like being treated this way?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-stern/don-t-ask-yourself-who-s-right-ask-yourself-do-i-like-being-treated/) [Robin Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-stern/) > [Dont come running back to me when you get treated the same way you treated me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-come-running-back-to-me-when-you-get-treated-the-same-way-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [IF I TREATED YOU THE WAY YOU TREATED ME \| you would hate me yeah its true .. !!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siva/if-i-treated-you-the-way-you-treated-me-you-would-hate-me-yeah-its/) Siva > [If I treated you the way you treat me, you'd fucking hate me!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-treated-you-the-way-you-treat-me-you-d-fucking-hate-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You are mostly treated by others, the way you deserve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-saagar/you-are-mostly-treated-by-others-the-way-you-deserve/) [Krishna Saagar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-saagar/) > [If I treated you the way you treated me, I promise you wouldn't have stuck around the way I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-treated-you-the-way-you-treated-me-i-promise-you-wouldn-t-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm tired of being treated this way. Just be a man. One day you'll open your eyes and see that the best thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/i-m-tired-of-being-treated-this-way-just-be-a-man-one-day-you-ll-open/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [People hate when you show them how it feels to be treated the way they treat you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/people-hate-when-you-show-them-how-it-feels-to-be-treated-the-way/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [If I treated you the way you treated me, you would hate me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-treated-you-the-way-you-treated-me-you-would-hate-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Is it correct to treat people exactly as youd want them to treat you ? Actually no , the best practice is try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haitham-elsaadany/is-it-correct-to-treat-people-exactly-as-youd-want-them-to-treat-you/) [Haitham Elsaadany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haitham-elsaadany/) ## More by Kelsey Brickl > [“Praying to the Almighty, Javert?” called a voice, and Javert opened his eyes to see Rousseau and Leclerc smirking at him. Javert tipped his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-brickl/praying-to-the-almighty-javert-called-a-voice-and-javert-opened-his/) [Kelsey Brickl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-brickl/) > [“He was an indecent man, I told myself - prayerfully - and then I prayed for him to become decent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-brickl/he-was-an-indecent-man-i-told-myself-prayerfully-and-then-i-prayed/) [Kelsey Brickl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-brickl/) > [“She parted her lips as though she were going to scold him, but, after a moment of sitting with her mouth agape like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-brickl/she-parted-her-lips-as-though-she-were-going-to-scold-him-but-after-a/) [Kelsey Brickl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-brickl/) > [“When some women felt fear, they covered it with an iron grate of courage, I thought. Men might be dangerous, but they were very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-brickl/when-some-women-felt-fear-they-covered-it-with-an-iron-grate-of/) [Kelsey Brickl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-brickl/) > [“Thus, in the boy’s mind, drink and destruction braided together. Intoxication, he concluded, was a swift and effective catalyst for havoc.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-brickl/thus-in-the-boy-s-mind-drink-and-destruction-braided-together/) [Kelsey Brickl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-brickl/) > [“The ground had opened up and spit out hell, Nell thought, and the detritus was Shiloh.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-brickl/the-ground-had-opened-up-and-spit-out-hell-nell-thought-and-the/) [Kelsey Brickl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-brickl/) > [“Sometimes a revolution turns into an actual government, or at the very least an actual way of life that contrasts with days past like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-brickl/sometimes-a-revolution-turns-into-an-actual-government-or-at-the-very/) [Kelsey Brickl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-brickl/) > [“Fire on the cavalry!” cried an officer from behind them. Javert raised his musket and glared with one open eye at the approaching horde.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-brickl/fire-on-the-cavalry-cried-an-officer-from-behind-them-javert-raised/) [Kelsey Brickl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-brickl/) > [“There was no justice in rebellion. This Javert had come to believe after seeing Marseille fall headfirst into the abyss of the revolution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-brickl/there-was-no-justice-in-rebellion-this-javert-had-come-to-believe/) [Kelsey Brickl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-brickl/) > [“In August, an inescapable blanket of heat settled over Paducah, the last gasping breath of summer roaring its weight out over the populace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-brickl/in-august-an-inescapable-blanket-of-heat-settled-over-paducah-the/) [Kelsey Brickl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-brickl/) > [“It wasn’t that Nell was weak. It was that the world was dangerous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-brickl/it-wasn-t-that-nell-was-weak-it-was-that-the-world-was-dangerous/) [Kelsey Brickl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-brickl/) > [“Sometimes the smoke from the factories and riverboats and trains would obscure the night sky entirely. But the town's industrial breath was blowing somewhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-brickl/sometimes-the-smoke-from-the-factories-and-riverboats-and-trains/) [Kelsey Brickl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-brickl/) > [“The war dragged on, as wars tend to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-brickl/the-war-dragged-on-as-wars-tend-to-do/) [Kelsey Brickl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-brickl/) > [“I was scarcely the first, nor the only current, girl of impressive derivation to be unceremoniously thrust through the iron gate at the entrance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-brickl/i-was-scarcely-the-first-nor-the-only-current-girl-of-impressive/) [Kelsey Brickl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-brickl/) > [“Youth is as easily wasted as a fine wine consumed by a drunken man. There is no poetry in aging, and Javert lived out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-brickl/youth-is-as-easily-wasted-as-a-fine-wine-consumed-by-a-drunken-man/) [Kelsey Brickl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-brickl/) [Explore all 19 Kelsey Brickl quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-brickl/) ## More Afterthought quotes > [“As we were swimming back, he asked as though it were an afterthought, “Are you going to hold last night against me?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-aciman/as-we-were-swimming-back-he-asked-as-though-it-were-an-afterthought/) [André Aciman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-aciman/) > [I write for myself and strangers. The strangers, dear Readers, are an afterthought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-write-for-myself-and-strangers-the-strangers-dear-readers-are-an/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [It's a great time to be a comedian because you've got so much more control. You can say what you want to. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burr/it-s-a-great-time-to-be-a-comedian-because-you-ve-got-so-much-more/) [Bill Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burr/) > [“I was an afterthought, five thousand years later. A mistake, because Ciana was gone. I was the dissonant note on the end of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-meadows/i-was-an-afterthought-five-thousand-years-later-a-mistake-because/) [Jodi Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-meadows/) > [Each one of us is not a divine afterthought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/each-one-of-us-is-not-a-divine-afterthought/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Indigenous programs and policy will come within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet because Indigenous policy and programs should not be an add…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yitzhak-rabin/indigenous-programs-and-policy-will-come-within-the-department-of/) [Yitzhak Rabin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yitzhak-rabin/) > [Getting to the top isn't bad, and it's probably best done as an afterthought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-wilson-schaef/getting-to-the-top-isn-t-bad-and-it-s-probably-best-done-as-an/) [Anne Wilson Schaef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-wilson-schaef/) > [How much reverence has a noble man for his enemies!--and such reverence is a bridge to love.--For he desires his enemy for himself, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/how-much-reverence-has-a-noble-man-for-his-enemies-and-such-reverence/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [People shouldn't notice what you're wearing before they notice you. You want people to register you first. 'Oh, what a nice jacket' should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kors/people-shouldn-t-notice-what-you-re-wearing-before-they-notice-you/) [Michael Kors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kors/) > [Humor is not a postscript or an incidental afterthought; it is a serious and weighty part of the world's economy. One feels increasingly the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-w-firkins/humor-is-not-a-postscript-or-an-incidental-afterthought-it-is-a/) [Oscar W. Firkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-w-firkins/) > [The technology backbone is no longer an afterthought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-price/the-technology-backbone-is-no-longer-an-afterthought/) Nick Price > [“Then, as another afterthought, he had added, “We Don’t Rent Pigs,” which occasioned yet another argument with Call.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/then-as-another-afterthought-he-had-added-we-don-t-rent-pigs-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You are not an afterthought, you are not an accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/you-are-not-an-afterthought-you-are-not-an-accident/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [“You are not an afterthought. You are an everythought.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-diedrich/you-are-not-an-afterthought-you-are-an-everythought/) [Kirk Diedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-diedrich/) > [The church lies at the very center of the eternal purpose of God. It is not a divine afterthought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/the-church-lies-at-the-very-center-of-the-eternal-purpose-of-god-it/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) Browse all 53 Afterthought quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“She was an afterthought, little Martha. 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