--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Her father would return from China. He’d…" description: "\"“Her father would return from China. He’d come back with all his soldiers. He’d pick her up in his strong arms and say that he’d never meant to leave, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53d/paolo-bacigalupi-3095_fantasies_her-father-would-return-from-china-he-d_2370282.jpg" --- # Her father would return from China. He’d come back with… ![“Her father would return from China. He’d come back with all his soldiers. He’d pick her up in his strong arms and say that he’d never meant to leave, that he hadn’t meant to sail away and leave her and her mother alone in the canals of the Drowned Cities as the Army of God and the UPF and the…” quote by Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53d/paolo-bacigalupi-3095_fantasies_her-father-would-return-from-china-he-d_2370282.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53d/paolo-bacigalupi-3095_fantasies_her-father-would-return-from-china-he-d_2370282.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53d/paolo-bacigalupi-3095_fantasies_her-father-would-return-from-china-he-d_2370282.jpg) > ““Her father would return from China. He’d come back with all his soldiers. He’d pick her up in his strong arms and say that he’d never meant to leave, that he hadn’t meant to sail away and leave her and her mother alone in the canals of the Drowned Cities as the Army of God and the UPF and the Freedom Militia came down like a hammer on every single person who’d ever trafficked with the peacekeepers. A stupid little dream for a stupid little war maggot. Mahlia hated herself for dreaming it. But sometimes she curled in on herself and held the stump of her right hand to her chest and pretended that none of it had happened. That her father was still here, and she still had a hand, and everything was going to get better.”” [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A girl copes with trauma by imagining safety and hope amid relentless oppression. **In simple terms:** She pretends to be safe. Key Takeaway Use imagination to heal trauma. Themes trauma hope resilience Mood somber hopeful Type literary psychological When to use this quote - personal reflection - mental health - conflict zones Key Concepts Coping mechanisms psychological survival Questions to Reflect On - What coping strategies help you in crisis? - How can hope be balanced with action? A Different Perspective Imagining safety may delay confronting reality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fantasies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasies/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [The number of people trafficked in a year around the world is estimated to be a staggering 2.4 million! 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The former Tigers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-greaney/the-five-former-bodyguards-immediately-expanded-the-organization-from/) [Mark Greaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-greaney/) > [“Medicine will shift from being heavily trafficked on the treatment side to the prevention side,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-b-agus/medicine-will-shift-from-being-heavily-trafficked-on-the-treatment/) [David B. Agus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-b-agus/) > [I thought, if I go to China, I might find food to eat. The only reason to escape was to find a bowl of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/i-thought-if-i-go-to-china-i-might-find-food-to-eat-the-only-reason/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/) > [“It's easy to dismiss girls who work on the streets as deadbeats or drug addicts without ever thinking about why they're working as prostitutes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-hayes/it-s-easy-to-dismiss-girls-who-work-on-the-streets-as-deadbeats-or/) [Sophie Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-hayes/) > [“Ana has been visiting,” I say, matching his tone. “She keeps me company, and even though she’s terrible at pronouncing my name and clearly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-hazelwood/ana-has-been-visiting-i-say-matching-his-tone-she-keeps-me-company/) [Ali Hazelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-hazelwood/) > [“Bad is that often wildlife trafficking is described as a “victimless” crime. 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It was her own fantasy, the secret one she sometimes curled up to when she went to bed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/the-idea-made-mahlia-s-chest-tighten-it-was-her-own-fantasy-the/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [ We have the ability to take him \[President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez\] out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/we-have-the-ability-to-take-him-president-of-venezuela-hugo-chavez/) [Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/) ## More by Paolo Bacigalupi > [Pain held no terror for him. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [“How did you find truth when everyone was talking about sides?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/how-did-you-find-truth-when-everyone-was-talking-about-sides/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [“At the time, he told his children to watch themselves, to understand that the tides of conservatism came and went and if they could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/at-the-time-he-told-his-children-to-watch-themselves-to-understand/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [The future looks a bit bleak to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/the-future-looks-a-bit-bleak-to-me/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [“Doctor Mahfouz was always yammering on about how everyone had humanity in them. 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Begging is for dogs and humans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/never-beg-for-mercy-accept-that-you-have-failed-begging-is-for-dogs/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [“Half-men don’t fight like people. More like hurricanes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/half-men-don-t-fight-like-people-more-like-hurricanes/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [“Maybe it will die on its own, a hopeful voice whispered, but the general suppressed the thought. Wishes were for victims.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/maybe-it-will-die-on-its-own-a-hopeful-voice-whispered-but-the/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [I used to love reading, but since I've started writing, it's harder for me to immerse, because I spend so much time looking at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/i-used-to-love-reading-but-since-i-ve-started-writing-it-s-harder-for/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [Sex and hypocrisy. They go together like coffee and cream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/sex-and-hypocrisy-they-go-together-like-coffee-and-cream/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [“Crew up, Nailer!" Lucky Girl shouted. "You think I'm going to pull your ass up here like a damn swank?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/crew-up-nailer-lucky-girl-shouted-you-think-i-m-going-to-pull-your/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [“There were times when he'd told her that every star was a bit of gold that was hers for the taking, because she was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/there-were-times-when-he-d-told-her-that-every-star-was-a-bit-of-gold/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [“The theater of operation built itself in Tool’s mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/the-theater-of-operation-built-itself-in-tool-s-mind/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) [Explore all 140 Paolo Bacigalupi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) ## More Fantasies quotes > [Fashion comes out of the world in which you live, your needs, hopes and fantasies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurizio-gucci/fashion-comes-out-of-the-world-in-which-you-live-your-needs-hopes-and/) [Maurizio Gucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurizio-gucci/) > [“I set my glass down and met his eyes, feeling an overwhelming surge of affection for this man. "That ... makes sense," I said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-lauren/i-set-my-glass-down-and-met-his-eyes-feeling-an-overwhelming-surge-of/) [Christina Lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-lauren/) > [It turns out that the God whose word will stand forever does not exist to insure our fantasies that we will not have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/it-turns-out-that-the-god-whose-word-will-stand-forever-does-not/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [“Leaders spend time reviewing their mistakes rather than having fantasies over their achievements! They look for every way to do the undone!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/leaders-spend-time-reviewing-their-mistakes-rather-than-having/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“Oskar is the fruit of those fantasies -- the idea that what needed to be saved was not just lives but hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-simon/oskar-is-the-fruit-of-those-fantasies-the-idea-that-what-needed-to-be/) Richard Simon > [Fantasies were safe. It was a break from reality. A chance to act on desires for a short period of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-banks/fantasies-were-safe-it-was-a-break-from-reality-a-chance-to-act-on/) [Maya Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-banks/) > [“Fictional worlds are a great place to indulge in unspoken fantasies. . . like writing the dad you never had. . . but desperately wanted growing up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jc-morrows/fictional-worlds-are-a-great-place-to-indulge-in-unspoken-fantasies/) Jc Morrows > [What did i know of your fantasies? Why do we know so little about the fantasies of our parents? What do we know of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pascal-mercier/what-did-i-know-of-your-fantasies-why-do-we-know-so-little-about-the/) [Pascal Mercier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pascal-mercier/) > [If truth be known, I carried some rather potent messianic fantasies with me from childhood which I felt I had to control, otherwise I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/if-truth-be-known-i-carried-some-rather-potent-messianic-fantasies/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [Too busy chasing fantasies that you're blind to reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/too-busy-chasing-fantasies-that-you-re-blind-to-reality/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“A daydreamer is a writer just waiting for pen and paper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/a-daydreamer-is-a-writer-just-waiting-for-pen-and-paper/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [“The empty rooms always had a terribly depressing effect upon my father when he considered, he said, that the person who dwelt in them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-bernhard/the-empty-rooms-always-had-a-terribly-depressing-effect-upon-my/) [Thomas Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-bernhard/) > [Who you are is always enough. If your partner wants something different, it does not reflect upon you, but upon their needs and fantasies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-shoshanna/who-you-are-is-always-enough-if-your-partner-wants-something/) [Brenda Shoshanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-shoshanna/) > [I have a tendency to face my bad fantasies in my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siri-hustvedt/i-have-a-tendency-to-face-my-bad-fantasies-in-my-books/) [Siri Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siri-hustvedt/) > [Fantasies are more than substitutes for unpleasant reality; they are also dress rehearsals, plans. All acts performed in the world begin in the imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-grizzuti-harrison/fantasies-are-more-than-substitutes-for-unpleasant-reality-they-are/) [Barbara Grizzuti Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-grizzuti-harrison/) [Browse all 344 Fantasies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasies/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Her father would return from China. He’d come back with all his soldiers. He’d pick her up in his strong arms and say that he’d never meant to leave, that he hadn’t meant to sail away and leave her and her mother alone in the canals of the Drowned Cities as the Army of God and the UPF and the Freedom Militia came down like a hammer on every single person who’d ever trafficked with the peacekeepers. A stupid little dream for a stupid little war maggot. Mahlia hated herself for dreaming it. 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