--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you say 'mother' or 'father' you…" description: "\"When you say 'mother' or 'father' you describe three different phenomena. There is the giant who made you and loomed over your early years; there is wh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f70/rebecca-solnit-569_appease_when-you-say-mother-or-father-you-descri_2691460.png" --- # When you say 'mother' or 'father' you describe three… ![“When you say 'mother' or 'father' you describe three different phenomena. There is the giant who made you and loomed over your early years; there is whatever more human-scale version might have been possible to perceive later and maybe even befriend; and there is the internalized version of the…” quote by Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f70/rebecca-solnit-569_appease_when-you-say-mother-or-father-you-descri_2691460.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f70/rebecca-solnit-569_appease_when-you-say-mother-or-father-you-descri_2691460.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f70/rebecca-solnit-569_appease_when-you-say-mother-or-father-you-descri_2691460.png) > “When you say 'mother' or 'father' you describe three different phenomena. There is the giant who made you and loomed over your early years; there is whatever more human-scale version might have been possible to perceive later and maybe even befriend; and there is the internalized version of the parent with whom you struggle- to appease, to escape, to be yourself, to understand and be understood by- and they make up a chaotic and contradictory trinity.” [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. 'Mother' and 'father' embody three distinct aspects: the creator, the relatable human, and the internalized parent we wrestle with. **In simple terms:** Three facets of parental concepts. Key Takeaway Integrate and reconcile these aspects. Themes identity family psychology Mood thoughtful introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - parenting - therapy - self‑growth - literature Key Concepts internal conflict role models Questions to Reflect On - How do these facets affect self‑identity? - Can you separate the internal parent from the external? A Different Perspective Complexity can cause confusion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appease/) [Being yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-yourself/) [Chaotic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chaotic/) [Contradictory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contradictory/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Father Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father-different-1071538/) [Giants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giants/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Might have been](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might-have-been/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Mother Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother-father/) [Over you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/over-you/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parent Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent-struggle-284947/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Perceive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perceive/) [Scales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scales/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) [Trinity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trinity/) [Understood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understood/) [Versions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/versions/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [I don't know that any woman could ever not think about that at some point - even making the choice not to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-watts/i-don-t-know-that-any-woman-could-ever-not-think-about-that-at-some/) [Naomi Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-watts/) > [If I had to live my life over again, I would have a different father, a different wife and a different religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/if-i-had-to-live-my-life-over-again-i-would-have-a-different-father-a/) [John F. 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