--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A big refugee camp governed by real…" description: "\"“A big refugee camp governed by real terror and artificially pumped-up optimism - like the bastard child of Butlins and Colditz.”\" — M.R. Carey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/m-r-carey-10623_humour_a-big-refugee-camp-governed-by-real-terr_868109.jpg" --- # A big refugee camp governed by real terror and… ![“A big refugee camp governed by real terror and artificially pumped-up optimism - like the bastard child of Butlins and Colditz.” quote by M.R. Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/m-r-carey-10623_humour_a-big-refugee-camp-governed-by-real-terr_868109.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/m-r-carey-10623_humour_a-big-refugee-camp-governed-by-real-terr_868109.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/m-r-carey-10623_humour_a-big-refugee-camp-governed-by-real-terr_868109.jpg) > ““A big refugee camp governed by real terror and artificially pumped-up optimism - like the bastard child of Butlins and Colditz.”” [M.R. Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-r-carey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A refugee camp is depicted as a grotesque blend of harsh reality and forced optimism. **In simple terms:** Refugee camps are paradoxically hopeful and terrible. Key Takeaway Recognize the complexity of humanitarian aid. Themes humanitarian paradox optimism Mood critical somber Type literary satirical When to use this quote - NGO work - journalism - policy advocacy - field research Key Concepts refugee crises media representation Questions to Reflect On - How does forced optimism affect aid effectiveness? - What reforms can reduce the “bastard child” feeling? A Different Perspective Optimism may mask systemic failures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Humour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humour/) [Immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/) ## Related quotes > [“...terrorism could not win once the real terror went.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/china-mi-ville/terrorism-could-not-win-once-the-real-terror-went/) [China Miéville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/china-mi-ville/) > [The first real terror struck him then, and there was nothing supernatural about it. 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You sweat so much that your skin goes all wrinkly like when you've been in the bath all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahir-shah/real-terror-is-a-crippling-experience-you-sweat-so-much-that-your/) [Tahir Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahir-shah/) > [A sin takes on a new and real terror when there seems a chance that it is going to be found out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-sin-takes-on-a-new-and-real-terror-when-there-seems-a-chance-that/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Here lies the real terror in the international war of ideologies; that a city knows not whom it entertains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/here-lies-the-real-terror-in-the-international-war-of-ideologies-that/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [I know I got to do something that's one in a million, to escape a refugee camp, to come to this country and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/halima-aden/i-know-i-got-to-do-something-that-s-one-in-a-million-to-escape-a/) [Halima Aden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/halima-aden/) > [“Marial and Uncle were no longer by his side, and they never would be again, but Salva knew that both of them would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/marial-and-uncle-were-no-longer-by-his-side-and-they-never-would-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“What about all the poor brothers and sisters across the city and the shit they had to deal with? Fuck, what about all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-mcdermott/what-about-all-the-poor-brothers-and-sisters-across-the-city-and-the/) Zack McDermott > [The particular refugee camp we were in, they were hungry for play, they were hungry for any kind of normalcy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-sellecca/the-particular-refugee-camp-we-were-in-they-were-hungry-for-play-they/) [Connie Sellecca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-sellecca/) > [From age six to 12, I lived in seven different countries, moving from one refugee camp to another, hoping we would be wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clemantine-wamariya/from-age-six-to-12-i-lived-in-seven-different-countries-moving-from/) [Clemantine Wamariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clemantine-wamariya/) > [“Still, the refugee camp of Jenin remained as it had been, a one-square-mile patch of earth, excised from time and imprisoned in that endless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-abulhawa/still-the-refugee-camp-of-jenin-remained-as-it-had-been-a-one-square/) [Susan Abulhawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-abulhawa/) > [I grew up in a refugee camp. Thirty years. This so-called human-rights world didn't ask me what was happening for me to be there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kagame/i-grew-up-in-a-refugee-camp-thirty-years-this-so-called-human-rights/) [Paul Kagame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kagame/) > [We can't turn Italy into a refugee camp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matteo-salvini/we-can-t-turn-italy-into-a-refugee-camp/) [Matteo Salvini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matteo-salvini/) ## More by M.R. Carey > [“Loyalty is just the wheels on the bus ... meaning that it keeps things moving but it's neutral when it comes to the direction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-r-carey/loyalty-is-just-the-wheels-on-the-bus-meaning-that-it-keeps-things/) [M.R. Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-r-carey/) > [“Pretending not to see would, she believes, take her past some point of no return, past the event horizon of hypocrisy into a black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-r-carey/pretending-not-to-see-would-she-believes-take-her-past-some-point-of/) [M.R. Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-r-carey/) > [“It’s a strange thing to wake up not knowing who you are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-r-carey/it-s-a-strange-thing-to-wake-up-not-knowing-who-you-are/) [M.R. Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-r-carey/) > [“I love you, Miss Justineau. I’ll be a god or a Titan for you, and save you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-r-carey/i-love-you-miss-justineau-i-ll-be-a-god-or-a-titan-for-you-and-save/) [M.R. 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It’s something that’s playing out in its own self-contained subroutine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-r-carey/this-isn-t-life-it-s-something-that-s-playing-out-in-its-own-self/) [M.R. Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-r-carey/) > [“you can't save people from the world. There's nowhere else to take them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-r-carey/you-can-t-save-people-from-the-world-there-s-nowhere-else-to-take-them/) [M.R. Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-r-carey/) > [“She's in the club. The hopelessly-outnumbered-and-surrounded-by-monsters club.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-r-carey/she-s-in-the-club-the-hopelessly-outnumbered-and-surrounded-by/) [M.R. Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-r-carey/) > [“She already misses Miss J, even though they’re still together. She doesn’t think she’ll ever love anyone else quite this much.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-r-carey/she-already-misses-miss-j-even-though-they-re-still-together-she/) [M.R. Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-r-carey/) > [“It rains on the just and the unjust. Nothing you can do but turn your collar up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-r-carey/it-rains-on-the-just-and-the-unjust-nothing-you-can-do-but-turn-your/) [M.R. Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-r-carey/) > [“It’s not just Pandora who had that inescapable flaw. It seems like everyone has been built in a way that sometimes makes them do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-r-carey/it-s-not-just-pandora-who-had-that-inescapable-flaw-it-seems-like/) [M.R. Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-r-carey/) > [“If he says something that isn’t true, he is bringing uncertainty into the world. He is blinding the people around him to a small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-r-carey/if-he-says-something-that-isn-t-true-he-is-bringing-uncertainty-into/) [M.R. 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