---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The weapons that were once outside…"
description: "\"The weapons that were once outside sharpening themselves on war are now indoors there, in the fortress, fragile in glass cases; Why is it (I'm thinking..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/503/margaret-atwood-40_archways_the-weapons-that-were-once-outside-sharp_1882304.jpg"
---

#  The weapons that were once outside sharpening themselves…

![“The weapons that were once outside sharpening themselves on war are now indoors there, in the fortress, fragile in glass cases; Why is it (I'm thinking of the careful moulding round the stonework archways) that in this time, such elaborate defences keep things that are no longer (much) worth…” quote by Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/503/margaret-atwood-40_archways_the-weapons-that-were-once-outside-sharp_1882304.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/503/margaret-atwood-40_archways_the-weapons-that-were-once-outside-sharp_1882304.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/503/margaret-atwood-40_archways_the-weapons-that-were-once-outside-sharp_1882304.jpg)

> “The weapons that were once outside sharpening themselves on war are now indoors there, in the fortress, fragile in glass cases; Why is it (I'm thinking of the careful moulding round the stonework archways) that in this time, such elaborate defences keep things that are no longer (much) worth defending?”

[Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Reflects on how societies preserve fragile, obsolete defenses, questioning the value of protecting what no longer matters.

**In simple terms:** Old defenses protect nothing useful now.

Key Takeaway

Reevaluate what we defend.

Themes

history defense meaninglessness

Mood

thoughtful critical

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- museum curation
- heritage preservation
- policy making

Key Concepts

politics cultural decay

Questions to Reflect On

- What modern “fortresses” are we maintaining?
- Are we protecting the right things?

A Different Perspective

Defenses may become symbols rather than functional.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Archways](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/archways-10408/) [Careful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careful/) [Cases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cases/) [Defence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defence/) [Defences Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defences-things-2666906/) [Fortress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortress/) [Fortress Fragile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortress-fragile-2666905/) [Fortresses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortresses/) [Fragile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fragile/) [Glasses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glasses/) [Indoors Fortress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indoors-fortress-2666907/) [Rounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rounds/) [Sharpening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sharpening/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapons/) [Weapons Outside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapons-outside-2666908/)

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