--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And—who can say why these things happen…" description: "\"“And—who can say why these things happen on Thursday, when the same events might have gone unremarked on Tuesday?—they fought back. A dozen women turne..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/naomi-alderman-2604_things-happen_and-who-can-say-why-these-things-happen_2001103.png" --- # And—who can say why these things happen on Thursday, when… ![“And—who can say why these things happen on Thursday, when the same events might have gone unremarked on Tuesday?—they fought back. A dozen women turned into a hundred. A hundred into a thousand. The police retreated. The women shouted; some made placards. They understood their strength, all at once.” quote by Naomi Alderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/naomi-alderman-2604_things-happen_and-who-can-say-why-these-things-happen_2001103.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/naomi-alderman-2604_things-happen_and-who-can-say-why-these-things-happen_2001103.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/naomi-alderman-2604_things-happen_and-who-can-say-why-these-things-happen_2001103.png) > ““And—who can say why these things happen on Thursday, when the same events might have gone unremarked on Tuesday?—they fought back. A dozen women turned into a hundred. A hundred into a thousand. The police retreated. The women shouted; some made placards. They understood their strength, all at once.”” [Naomi Alderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-alderman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Women collectively discover and wield power, turning small acts into massive resistance against oppression. **In simple terms:** Women unite, gaining strength and confronting authority. Key Takeaway Recognize and amplify collective strength. Themes empowerment resistance solidarity Mood defiant hopeful Type inspirational political When to use this quote - protests - community organizing - grassroots movements - political activism Key Concepts gender dynamics collective action social change Questions to Reflect On - How can small groups catalyze large-scale change? - What risks arise when power shifts rapidly? A Different Perspective May overlook individual agency within mass movements. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dozen Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dozen-women-3521588/) [Fought Dozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fought-dozen-3521589/) [Retreated Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/retreated-women-3521590/) [Things happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-happen/) [Women Shouted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women-shouted-3521587/) [Women Turned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women-turned-1129796/) ## Related quotes > [“I have seen abdomens pummelled, stretched-out hands disregarded, and have met women who were shouted at and even slapped during labour.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-palmer/i-have-seen-abdomens-pummelled-stretched-out-hands-disregarded-and/) [Gabrielle Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-palmer/) > [Whereas women are most turned on by a man's depth of presence, men are most turned on by a woman's radiance and energy: how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-deida/whereas-women-are-most-turned-on-by-a-man-s-depth-of-presence-men-are/) [David Deida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-deida/) > [“While I lamented in my room, I imagined Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Onyeka Onwenu, Joke Silva, Genevieve Nnaji, among other great women holding high their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-a-david/while-i-lamented-in-my-room-i-imagined-chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) [S. A. David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-david/) > [“- “How about flipping a coin;” she made a pretty remark and the two women turned around and looked at her irritated. - “That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-kakalopoulou/how-about-flipping-a-coin-she-made-a-pretty-remark-and-the-two-women/) [Georgia Kakalopoulou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-kakalopoulou/) > [A lot of women are turned off by the physical appearance of some of the first feminists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-reddy/a-lot-of-women-are-turned-off-by-the-physical-appearance-of-some-of/) [Helen Reddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-reddy/) > [Things happen too quickly, crisis follows crisis, the soil of our minds is perpetually disturbed. Each of us, to relieve his feelings, broadcasts his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-struther/things-happen-too-quickly-crisis-follows-crisis-the-soil-of-our-minds/) [Jan Struther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-struther/) > [Things happen on the field. It has happened between me and other players, but we always left it out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautam-gambhir/things-happen-on-the-field-it-has-happened-between-me-and-other/) [Gautam Gambhir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautam-gambhir/) > [When you're true to who you are, amazing things happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/when-you-re-true-to-who-you-are-amazing-things-happen/) [Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/) > [IVE LEARNED THE BEST WAY FOR YOU TO HAVE GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO YOU , ALL THE TIME, IS TO DO GOOD THINGS FOR…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-paul-rose/ive-learned-the-best-way-for-you-to-have-good-things-happen-to-you/) [LEONARD PAUL ROSE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-paul-rose/) > [Great things that can happen when you're doing a movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-l-brooks/great-things-that-can-happen-when-you-re-doing-a-movie/) [James L. Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-l-brooks/) > [You've got to have a dream... if you don't have any big dreams, nothing happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rush/you-ve-got-to-have-a-dream-if-you-don-t-have-any-big-dreams-nothing/) [Ian Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rush/) > [“Nothing happens on its own, you have to make things happen. If you really want to come out of your stressful situation than you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subodh-gupta/nothing-happens-on-its-own-you-have-to-make-things-happen-if-you/) [Subodh Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subodh-gupta/) > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I think the most miraculous thing is learning. I get out of the way and let the students learn. Then you get to watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-think-the-most-miraculous-thing-is-learning-i-get-out-of-the-way/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The amazing thing is that we live our lives with the hope that things will go right, that things will happen. And all along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurel-nakadate/the-amazing-thing-is-that-we-live-our-lives-with-the-hope-that-things/) [Laurel Nakadate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurel-nakadate/) ## More by Naomi Alderman > [“Gender is a shell game. What is a man? Whatever a woman isn't. What is a woman? Whatever a man is not. Tap on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-alderman/gender-is-a-shell-game-what-is-a-man-whatever-a-woman-isn-t-what-is-a/) [Naomi Alderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-alderman/) > [“That is how a man speaks. And that is why.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-alderman/that-is-how-a-man-speaks-and-that-is-why/) [Naomi Alderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-alderman/) > [Our culture tends to denigrate things that are associated with women. It's OK for women to wear trousers, for example, but not OK for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-alderman/our-culture-tends-to-denigrate-things-that-are-associated-with-women/) [Naomi Alderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-alderman/) > [I was there on 9/11. I watched the towers falling from my office window, at which point I decided I would give up my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-alderman/i-was-there-on-9-11-i-watched-the-towers-falling-from-my-office/) [Naomi Alderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-alderman/) > [The value of the arts cannot be measured by its ability to preserve life but rather to enhance existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-alderman/the-value-of-the-arts-cannot-be-measured-by-its-ability-to-preserve/) [Naomi Alderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-alderman/) > [I've got the brain for systems and a head for figures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-alderman/i-ve-got-the-brain-for-systems-and-a-head-for-figures/) [Naomi Alderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-alderman/) > [Our body is there right now. You did not have to earn a thing. It is a gift. You are a hero every time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-alderman/our-body-is-there-right-now-you-did-not-have-to-earn-a-thing-it-is-a/) [Naomi Alderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-alderman/) > [We all know that the desire for perfection can get in the way of authenticity and enjoyment; it's the same with games. There's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-alderman/we-all-know-that-the-desire-for-perfection-can-get-in-the-way-of/) [Naomi Alderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-alderman/) > [I hated sports at school. Almost everyone did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-alderman/i-hated-sports-at-school-almost-everyone-did/) [Naomi Alderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-alderman/) > [Games don't cause racism. But the real-time chat makes nasty comments hard to moderate and easy to spread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-alderman/games-don-t-cause-racism-but-the-real-time-chat-makes-nasty-comments/) [Naomi Alderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-alderman/) > [“She had been here for the protests three years earlier; yes, she had held up her banner and shouted and signed her petitions. “It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-alderman/she-had-been-here-for-the-protests-three-years-earlier-yes-she-had/) [Naomi Alderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-alderman/) > [I've always had a real interest in the way that science fiction can portray a world that could be different to our world, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-alderman/i-ve-always-had-a-real-interest-in-the-way-that-science-fiction-can/) [Naomi Alderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-alderman/) > [The species will continue, whatever apocalypse we manage to unleash. It just won't be much fun to live through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-alderman/the-species-will-continue-whatever-apocalypse-we-manage-to-unleash-it/) [Naomi Alderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-alderman/) > [“intuition is just like that: sudden and complete, as if there were machinery working behind her eyes that even she has no access to.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-alderman/intuition-is-just-like-that-sudden-and-complete-as-if-there-were/) [Naomi Alderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-alderman/) > [Writers of feminist dystopian fiction are alert to the realities that grind down women's lives, that make the unthinkable suddenly thinkable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-alderman/writers-of-feminist-dystopian-fiction-are-alert-to-the-realities-that/) [Naomi Alderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-alderman/) [Explore all 157 Naomi Alderman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-alderman/) ## More Things happen quotes > [The amazing thing is that we live our lives with the hope that things will go right, that things will happen. And all along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurel-nakadate/the-amazing-thing-is-that-we-live-our-lives-with-the-hope-that-things/) [Laurel Nakadate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurel-nakadate/) > [I think the most miraculous thing is learning. I get out of the way and let the students learn. Then you get to watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-think-the-most-miraculous-thing-is-learning-i-get-out-of-the-way/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [“Nothing happens on its own, you have to make things happen. If you really want to come out of your stressful situation than you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subodh-gupta/nothing-happens-on-its-own-you-have-to-make-things-happen-if-you/) [Subodh Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subodh-gupta/) > [You've got to have a dream... if you don't have any big dreams, nothing happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rush/you-ve-got-to-have-a-dream-if-you-don-t-have-any-big-dreams-nothing/) [Ian Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rush/) > [Great things that can happen when you're doing a movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-l-brooks/great-things-that-can-happen-when-you-re-doing-a-movie/) [James L. Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-l-brooks/) > [IVE LEARNED THE BEST WAY FOR YOU TO HAVE GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO YOU , ALL THE TIME, IS TO DO GOOD THINGS FOR…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-paul-rose/ive-learned-the-best-way-for-you-to-have-good-things-happen-to-you/) [LEONARD PAUL ROSE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-paul-rose/) > [When you're true to who you are, amazing things happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/when-you-re-true-to-who-you-are-amazing-things-happen/) [Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/) > [Things happen on the field. It has happened between me and other players, but we always left it out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautam-gambhir/things-happen-on-the-field-it-has-happened-between-me-and-other/) [Gautam Gambhir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautam-gambhir/) > [Things happen too quickly, crisis follows crisis, the soil of our minds is perpetually disturbed. Each of us, to relieve his feelings, broadcasts his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-struther/things-happen-too-quickly-crisis-follows-crisis-the-soil-of-our-minds/) [Jan Struther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-struther/) > [Whether it is a small thing or big one, step-by-step you can make things happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-zanardi/whether-it-is-a-small-thing-or-big-one-step-by-step-you-can-make/) [Alex Zanardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-zanardi/) > [But if I've heard this saying once, I've heard it a thousand times- everything happens for a reason. And possibly it does. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-lawler/but-if-i-ve-heard-this-saying-once-i-ve-heard-it-a-thousand-times/) [Jerry Lawler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-lawler/) > [“The most terrible and beautiful and interesting things happen in life. For some of you, those things have already happened. Whatever happens to you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/the-most-terrible-and-beautiful-and-interesting-things-happen-in-life/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [I have this belief about things happening organically. I believe life has this organic flow in a way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoko-mori/i-have-this-belief-about-things-happening-organically-i-believe-life/) [Naoko Mori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoko-mori/) > [I wasn't going to let things happen to me any more. I was going to make them happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-millard/i-wasn-t-going-to-let-things-happen-to-me-any-more-i-was-going-to/) [Glenda Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-millard/) [Browse all 3,517 Things happen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-happen/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“And—who can say why these things happen on Thursday, when the same events might have gone unremarked on Tuesday?—they fought back. A dozen women turned into a hundred. A hundred into a thousand. The police retreated. The women shouted; some made placards. 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