--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I suppose, he was thinking, that we heard…" description: "\"“I suppose, he was thinking, that we heard this tale of the Herzogs ten times a year. Sometimes Mama told it, sometimes he. So we had a great schooling..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/saul-bellow-558_comic-relief_i-suppose-he-was-thinking-that-we-heard_2914511.png" --- # I suppose, he was thinking, that we heard this tale of the… ![“I suppose, he was thinking, that we heard this tale of the Herzogs ten times a year. Sometimes Mama told it, sometimes he. So we had a great schooling in grief. I still know these cries of the soul. They lie in the breast, and in the throat. The mouth wants to open wide and let them out. But all…” quote by Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/saul-bellow-558_comic-relief_i-suppose-he-was-thinking-that-we-heard_2914511.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/saul-bellow-558_comic-relief_i-suppose-he-was-thinking-that-we-heard_2914511.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/saul-bellow-558_comic-relief_i-suppose-he-was-thinking-that-we-heard_2914511.png) > ““I suppose, he was thinking, that we heard this tale of the Herzogs ten times a year. Sometimes Mama told it, sometimes he. So we had a great schooling in grief. I still know these cries of the soul. They lie in the breast, and in the throat. The mouth wants to open wide and let them out. But all these are antiquities -- yes, Jewish antiquities originating in the Bible, in a Biblical sense of personal experience and destiny. What happened during the War abolished Father Herzog's claim to exceptional suffering. We are on a more brutal standard now, a new terminal standard, indifferent to persons. Part of the program of human destruction into which the human spirit has poured itself with energy, even with joy. These personal histories, old tales from old times that may not be worth remembering. I remember. I must. But who else -- to whom can this matter? So many millions -- multitudes -- go down in terrible pain. And, at that, moral suffering is denied, these days. Personalities are good only for comic relief. But I am still a slave to Papa's pain. The way Father Herzog spoke of himself! That could make one laugh. His I had such dignity.”” [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage reflects on inherited grief, the erosion of personal suffering under modern brutality, and the struggle to find meaning in collective trauma. **In simple terms:** Grief is passed down, but modern cruelty makes it harder to recognize personal pain. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and honor personal histories despite overwhelming suffering. Themes grief memory war existentialism humanity Mood somber reflective melancholic Type literary philosophical critical When to use this quote - family storytelling - psychological therapy - historical education - war memorials - community support Key Concepts collective trauma historical memory identity resilience Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance personal grief with broader social responsibility? - What role does storytelling play in preserving dignity? A Different Perspective The focus on personal pain may overlook systemic causes of suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comic relief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic-relief/) [Exceptional Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exceptional-suffering-4213832/) [Father Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father-herzog-4213834/) [Herzog Claim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/herzog-claim-4213835/) [Herzog Spoke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/herzog-spoke-4213833/) [Human spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-spirit/) [Moral Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-suffering-1965938/) [Old times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-times/) [Personal experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-experience/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“One of the most pernicious effects of religion is that it tends to divorce morality from the reality of human and animal suffering. Religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/one-of-the-most-pernicious-effects-of-religion-is-that-it-tends-to-2/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“How many ills, how many infirmities, does man owe to his excesses, his ambition – in a word, to the indulgence of his various…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-kardec/how-many-ills-how-many-infirmities-does-man-owe-to-his-excesses-his/) [Allan Kardec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-kardec/) > [“Every one has a sum of physical and moral suffering to pay, and whoever does not settle it here below, defrays it after death;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joris-karl-huysmans/every-one-has-a-sum-of-physical-and-moral-suffering-to-pay-and/) [Joris-Karl Huysmans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joris-karl-huysmans/) > [Once upon a time, they thought I was a sweet, wide-eyed boy that was just trying to figure out how to kiss the girl.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-mendelsohn/once-upon-a-time-they-thought-i-was-a-sweet-wide-eyed-boy-that-was/) [Ben Mendelsohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-mendelsohn/) > [I provide a little comic relief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-anderson/i-provide-a-little-comic-relief/) [Anthony Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-anderson/) > [“Hell, if someome wrote a book about you, well, it'd sell a million copies the day it was released. And if someone else was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jenner/hell-if-someome-wrote-a-book-about-you-well-it-d-sell-a-million/) [Stephen Jenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jenner/) > [My show is constantly evolving... new tricks are added, old ones are dropped... so it stays fresh. But it's the randomly selected participants from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-copperfield/my-show-is-constantly-evolving-new-tricks-are-added-old-ones-are/) [David Copperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-copperfield/) > [I like to play the comic relief or parts that aren't necessarily comedic but that I can find the comedy in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chandra-wilson/i-like-to-play-the-comic-relief-or-parts-that-aren-t-necessarily/) [Chandra Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chandra-wilson/) > [I'm not using Comic Relief to launch my own singing career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-brooker/i-m-not-using-comic-relief-to-launch-my-own-singing-career/) [Alex Brooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-brooker/) > [The only award I've been nominated for is a Scottish BAFTA. A Scottish BAFTA, it's like hearing that the animals have their own Olympics.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-boyle/the-only-award-i-ve-been-nominated-for-is-a-scottish-bafta-a-scottish/) [Frankie Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-boyle/) > [If I'm not mistaken, I think Data was the comic relief on the show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-spiner/if-i-m-not-mistaken-i-think-data-was-the-comic-relief-on-the-show/) [Brent Spiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-spiner/) > [“To make matters worse, the CEO was wearing a red clown’s nose made of foam. It was the UK’s Comic Relief Day, a nationwide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leander-kahney/to-make-matters-worse-the-ceo-was-wearing-a-red-clown-s-nose-made-of/) [Leander Kahney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leander-kahney/) > [The truth is that Ron is my hero. He's always there for his friends - sometimes belligerently, but there nevertheless. He's also the comic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-grint/the-truth-is-that-ron-is-my-hero-he-s-always-there-for-his-friends/) [Rupert Grint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-grint/) > [When you see people getting involved in Comic Relief, especially in tough times or times of recession, that's very positive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aisling-bea/when-you-see-people-getting-involved-in-comic-relief-especially-in/) [Aisling Bea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aisling-bea/) > [“Tequila, anyone?” he asked our group, but his eyes were on me. “Hell, yeah, K, break it out,” Blake said. I tried to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-higgins/tequila-anyone-he-asked-our-group-but-his-eyes-were-on-me-hell-yeah-k/) [Wendy Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-higgins/) ## More by Saul Bellow > [... a fellow can't predict what he will pick up in the form of influence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/a-fellow-can-t-predict-what-he-will-pick-up-in-the-form-of-influence/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [If I'm out of my mind, it's all right with me, thought Moses Herzog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/if-i-m-out-of-my-mind-it-s-all-right-with-me-thought-moses-herzog/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [I have begun in old age to understand just how oddly we are all put together. We are so proud of our autonomy that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/i-have-begun-in-old-age-to-understand-just-how-oddly-we-are-all-put/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“On Broadway it was still bright afternoon and the gassy air was almost motionless under the leaden spokes of sunlight, and sawdust footprints lay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/on-broadway-it-was-still-bright-afternoon-and-the-gassy-air-was/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [There are evils that have the ability to survive identification and go on for ever... money, for instance, or war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/there-are-evils-that-have-the-ability-to-survive-identification-and/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [Myself is thus and so, and will continue thus and so. And why fight it? My balance comes from instability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/myself-is-thus-and-so-and-will-continue-thus-and-so-and-why-fight-it/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“A strange heart. I myself can't account for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/a-strange-heart-i-myself-can-t-account-for-it/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [The late philosopher Morris R. Cohen of CCNY was asked by a student in the metaphysics course, Professor Cohen, how do I know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/the-late-philosopher-morris-r-cohen-of-ccny-was-asked-by-a-student-in/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“Therefore we didn't talk of genuine things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/therefore-we-didn-t-talk-of-genuine-things/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [Is our species crazy? Plenty of evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/is-our-species-crazy-plenty-of-evidence/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“But now the emphasis has shifted to making it. People have surrendered their personal moral objectives to government or schools or psychologists. It’s a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/but-now-the-emphasis-has-shifted-to-making-it-people-have-surrendered/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [There's a kind of emptiness at the center of life ... nothing to form your life on, or by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/there-s-a-kind-of-emptiness-at-the-center-of-life-nothing-to-form/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“I don't know how it all at once came to me to talk a lot, tell jokes, kick up, and suddenly have views. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/i-don-t-know-how-it-all-at-once-came-to-me-to-talk-a-lot-tell-jokes/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [There are times when the most practical thing is to lie down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/there-are-times-when-the-most-practical-thing-is-to-lie-down/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“For knowledge of death makes us wish to extend our lives at the expense of others. And this is the root of the struggle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/for-knowledge-of-death-makes-us-wish-to-extend-our-lives-at-the/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) [Explore all 464 Saul Bellow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) ## More Comic relief quotes > [“Tequila, anyone?” he asked our group, but his eyes were on me. “Hell, yeah, K, break it out,” Blake said. I tried to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-higgins/tequila-anyone-he-asked-our-group-but-his-eyes-were-on-me-hell-yeah-k/) [Wendy Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-higgins/) > [When you see people getting involved in Comic Relief, especially in tough times or times of recession, that's very positive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aisling-bea/when-you-see-people-getting-involved-in-comic-relief-especially-in/) [Aisling Bea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aisling-bea/) > [The truth is that Ron is my hero. He's always there for his friends - sometimes belligerently, but there nevertheless. He's also the comic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-grint/the-truth-is-that-ron-is-my-hero-he-s-always-there-for-his-friends/) [Rupert Grint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-grint/) > [“To make matters worse, the CEO was wearing a red clown’s nose made of foam. It was the UK’s Comic Relief Day, a nationwide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leander-kahney/to-make-matters-worse-the-ceo-was-wearing-a-red-clown-s-nose-made-of/) [Leander Kahney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leander-kahney/) > [If I'm not mistaken, I think Data was the comic relief on the show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-spiner/if-i-m-not-mistaken-i-think-data-was-the-comic-relief-on-the-show/) [Brent Spiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-spiner/) > [The only award I've been nominated for is a Scottish BAFTA. A Scottish BAFTA, it's like hearing that the animals have their own Olympics.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-boyle/the-only-award-i-ve-been-nominated-for-is-a-scottish-bafta-a-scottish/) [Frankie Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-boyle/) > [I'm not using Comic Relief to launch my own singing career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-brooker/i-m-not-using-comic-relief-to-launch-my-own-singing-career/) [Alex Brooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-brooker/) > [I like to play the comic relief or parts that aren't necessarily comedic but that I can find the comedy in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chandra-wilson/i-like-to-play-the-comic-relief-or-parts-that-aren-t-necessarily/) [Chandra Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chandra-wilson/) > [My show is constantly evolving... new tricks are added, old ones are dropped... so it stays fresh. But it's the randomly selected participants from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-copperfield/my-show-is-constantly-evolving-new-tricks-are-added-old-ones-are/) [David Copperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-copperfield/) > [“Hell, if someome wrote a book about you, well, it'd sell a million copies the day it was released. And if someone else was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jenner/hell-if-someome-wrote-a-book-about-you-well-it-d-sell-a-million/) [Stephen Jenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jenner/) > [I provide a little comic relief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-anderson/i-provide-a-little-comic-relief/) [Anthony Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-anderson/) > [Once upon a time, they thought I was a sweet, wide-eyed boy that was just trying to figure out how to kiss the girl.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-mendelsohn/once-upon-a-time-they-thought-i-was-a-sweet-wide-eyed-boy-that-was/) [Ben Mendelsohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-mendelsohn/) > [“Oh, yeah. If there's one thing I'm good for, it's comic relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-mckenna/oh-yeah-if-there-s-one-thing-i-m-good-for-it-s-comic-relief/) [Shannon McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-mckenna/) > [Comic Relief funds projects that help lift people out of poverty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bishop/comic-relief-funds-projects-that-help-lift-people-out-of-poverty/) [John Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bishop/) > [I didn't realize House would be the central character, more the bitter comic relief appearing occasionally. I relish his wounded nature - the lameness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-laurie/i-didn-t-realize-house-would-be-the-central-character-more-the-bitter/) [Hugh Laurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-laurie/) [Browse all 68 Comic relief quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic-relief/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I suppose, he was thinking, that we heard this tale of the Herzogs ten times a year. Sometimes Mama told it, sometimes he. So we had a great schooling in grief. I still know these cries of the soul. They lie in the breast, and in the throat. The mouth wants to open wide and let them out. But all these are antiquities -- yes, Jewish antiquities originating in the Bible, in a Biblical sense of personal experience and destiny. What happened during the War abolished Father Herzog's claim to exceptional suffering. We are on a more brutal standard now, a new terminal standard, indifferent to persons. Part of the program of human destruction into which the human spirit has poured itself with energy, even with joy. These personal histories, old tales from old times that may not be worth remembering. I remember. I must. But who else -- to whom can this matter? So many millions -- multitudes -- go down in terrible pain. And, at that, moral suffering is denied, these days. Personalities are good only for comic relief. But I am still a slave to Papa's pain. The way Father Herzog spoke of himself! That could make one laugh. 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