--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In short, Daniel was once again a member…" description: "\"“In short, Daniel was once again a member of a family. Viewed from without they were a strange enough family: a rattling, hunchbacked old woman, a spoi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65c/thomas-m-disch-17152_daniel_in-short-daniel-was-once-again-a-member_22729.jpg" --- # In short, Daniel was once again a member of a family… ![“In short, Daniel was once again a member of a family. Viewed from without they were a strange enough family: a rattling, hunchbacked old woman, a spoiled senile cocker spaniel, and a eunuch with a punctured career (for though Rey didn’t live with them, his off-stage presence was as abiding and…” quote by Thomas M. Disch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65c/thomas-m-disch-17152_daniel_in-short-daniel-was-once-again-a-member_22729.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65c/thomas-m-disch-17152_daniel_in-short-daniel-was-once-again-a-member_22729.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65c/thomas-m-disch-17152_daniel_in-short-daniel-was-once-again-a-member_22729.jpg) > ““In short, Daniel was once again a member of a family. Viewed from without they were a strange enough family: a rattling, hunchbacked old woman, a spoiled senile cocker spaniel, and a eunuch with a punctured career (for though Rey didn’t live with them, his off-stage presence was as abiding and palpable as that of any paterfamilias away every day at the office). And Daniel himself. But better to be strange together than strange apart. He was glad to have found such a haven at last, and he hoped that most familial and doomed of hopes, that nothing would change. ”” [Thomas M. Disch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-disch/) ## 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 portrays a makeshift family of eccentric characters who find comfort in shared oddness, highlighting the human need for belonging despite flaws. **In simple terms:** Finding refuge in a quirky, supportive group. Key Takeaway Shared strangeness creates solidarity. Themes belonging acceptance family oddity comfort Mood nostalgic warm Type reflective character sketch When to use this quote - a workplace with eccentric colleagues - a group of friends with unconventional traits - a community of outcasts Key Concepts chosen family social cohesion Practical Applications - building supportive networks - celebrating diversity in teams Questions to Reflect On - What makes a group feel like family? - How does embracing oddness strengthen bonds? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Daniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daniel/) [Every day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-day/) [Familial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/familial/) [Familial Doomed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/familial-doomed-402294/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Hoped Familial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hoped-familial-402293/) [Strange Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strange-family-402292/) ## Related quotes > [What a strange family you are! Is your name Lettie too?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-wynne-jones/what-a-strange-family-you-are-is-your-name-lettie-too/) [Diana Wynne Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-wynne-jones/) > [It's a little strange when part of your family is in the public eye, and you're being put into a box that you're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriella-wilde/it-s-a-little-strange-when-part-of-your-family-is-in-the-public-eye/) [Gabriella Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriella-wilde/) > [I come from a pretty strange family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/illeana-douglas/i-come-from-a-pretty-strange-family/) [Illeana Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/illeana-douglas/) > [I'm lucky enough to maintain a lustrous head of hair, like my father did, while both my brothers are bald. But I also have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-maclachlan/i-m-lucky-enough-to-maintain-a-lustrous-head-of-hair-like-my-father/) [Kyle MacLachlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-maclachlan/) > [“Home was a secure haven for that—a familial cone of honesty, if you will.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlan-coben/home-was-a-secure-haven-for-that-a-familial-cone-of-honesty-if-you/) [Harlan Coben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlan-coben/) > [When you're making a film, you become incredibly close. It's not like you're filing away papers all day. You're creating with human emotions, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thora-birch/when-you-re-making-a-film-you-become-incredibly-close-it-s-not-like/) [Thora Birch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thora-birch/) > [“The causes of familial discord and distance are countless, but the results are often the same: secrecy, blame, sadness, hurt, confusion, and feelings of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/the-causes-of-familial-discord-and-distance-are-countless-but-the/) [Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/) > [We live in a society that celebrates familial connection above any other kind of relationship. We are shown photos of our great-grandparents and encouraged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-coady/we-live-in-a-society-that-celebrates-familial-connection-above-any/) [Lynn Coady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-coady/) > [“Family isn’t just a social construct, you know darling, it is formed in the heart. It’s instinctive, this feeling of belonging to someone whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franciska-soares/family-isn-t-just-a-social-construct-you-know-darling-it-is-formed-in/) [Franciska Soares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franciska-soares/) > [We are born and reborn countless number of times, and it is possible that each being has been our parent at one time or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/we-are-born-and-reborn-countless-number-of-times-and-it-is-possible/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Going to dancing school, or being in a play, is a very familial feeling. You're around friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teri-garr/going-to-dancing-school-or-being-in-a-play-is-a-very-familial-feeling/) [Teri Garr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teri-garr/) > [“peculiar, or sad, and yet still deserve a place within the circle of familial love. The parents would thus have created an invaluable wellspring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/peculiar-or-sad-and-yet-still-deserve-a-place-within-the-circle-of/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [Familial love can find an echo in our own hearts just as it did in that of Charles Dickens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ackroyd/familial-love-can-find-an-echo-in-our-own-hearts-just-as-it-did-in/) [Peter Ackroyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ackroyd/) > [“...what role do i play in my familial structure? the one who feels things and cries a lot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-knoles/what-role-do-i-play-in-my-familial-structure-the-one-who-feels-things/) [Jessie Knoles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-knoles/) > [Over the years I have forged intimate familial ties with these characters, who are reflections of a portion of myself. Consequently, even a character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shusaku-endo/over-the-years-i-have-forged-intimate-familial-ties-with-these/) [Shusaku Endo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shusaku-endo/) ## More by Thomas M. Disch > [But the toaster was quite satisfied with itself, thank you. Though it knew from magazines that there were toasters who could toast four slices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-disch/but-the-toaster-was-quite-satisfied-with-itself-thank-you-though-it/) [Thomas M. Disch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-disch/) > [“Gender and the complications it gives rise to simply aren't relevant to the lives appliances lead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-disch/gender-and-the-complications-it-gives-rise-to-simply-aren-t-relevant/) [Thomas M. Disch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-disch/) > [“The problem is that we've got a sense of humor and (Republicans have) got guns. Will we die laughing?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-disch/the-problem-is-that-we-ve-got-a-sense-of-humor-and-republicans-have/) [Thomas M. Disch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-disch/) > [“This is my journal. I can be candid here. Candidly, I could not be more miserable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-disch/this-is-my-journal-i-can-be-candid-here-candidly-i-could-not-be-more/) [Thomas M. Disch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-disch/) > [“What to Accept The fact of mountains. The actuality Of any stone — by kicking, if necessary. The need to ignore stupid people, While…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-disch/what-to-accept-the-fact-of-mountains-the-actuality-of-any-stone-by/) [Thomas M. Disch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-disch/) > [A predilection for genre fiction is symptomatic of a kind of arrested development.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-disch/a-predilection-for-genre-fiction-is-symptomatic-of-a-kind-of-arrested/) [Thomas M. Disch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-disch/) > [Poets are regarded as handicapped writers whose work must be treated with a tender condescension, such as one accords the athletic achievements of basketball…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-disch/poets-are-regarded-as-handicapped-writers-whose-work-must-be-treated/) [Thomas M. Disch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-disch/) > [“(Shoddiness is) the nature of human life. It takes an exertion to be indifferent to these things, but it's an exertion worth making. Also,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-disch/shoddiness-is-the-nature-of-human-life-it-takes-an-exertion-to-be/) [Thomas M. Disch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-disch/) > [“When one is experiencing failure, it is hard to resist the comfort of paranoia.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-disch/when-one-is-experiencing-failure-it-is-hard-to-resist-the-comfort-of/) [Thomas M. Disch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-disch/) > [“The toaster (lacking real bread) would pretend to make two crispy slices of toast. Or, if the day seemed special in some way, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-disch/the-toaster-lacking-real-bread-would-pretend-to-make-two-crispy/) [Thomas M. Disch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-disch/) > [Writers tend to consider distinction and originality as virtues, but they are anathema to publishers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-disch/writers-tend-to-consider-distinction-and-originality-as-virtues-but/) [Thomas M. Disch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-disch/) > [Thought is a disease of the brain. The mind defends itself against the degenerative process of creativity; it begins to jell; notions solidify into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-disch/thought-is-a-disease-of-the-brain-the-mind-defends-itself-against-the/) [Thomas M. Disch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-disch/) > [Sameness is what marketers want us to want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-disch/sameness-is-what-marketers-want-us-to-want/) [Thomas M. Disch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-disch/) > [Sometimes the whole world is mud luscious and puddle wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-disch/sometimes-the-whole-world-is-mud-luscious-and-puddle-wonderful/) [Thomas M. Disch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-disch/) > [“The end of the world. Let me tell you about the end of the world. It happened fifty years ago. Maybe a hundred. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-disch/the-end-of-the-world-let-me-tell-you-about-the-end-of-the-world-it/) [Thomas M. Disch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-disch/) [Explore all 38 Thomas M. Disch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-disch/) ## More Daniel quotes > [“Of course,there had only been one place to find her. The first one.The beginning. Daniel tumbled toward the first life, ready to wait there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-kate/of-course-there-had-only-been-one-place-to-find-her-the-first-one-the/) [Lauren Kate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-kate/) > [“The historical background of the Book of Daniel must embrace a narrative of the events, actual or assumed, that form the setting of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-donald-maurice-spence-jones/the-historical-background-of-the-book-of-daniel-must-embrace-a/) [Henry Donald Maurice Spence-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-donald-maurice-spence-jones/) > [I believe our nation is in deep trouble. We seem to have lost our identity because in many ways we're separated from God. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-graham-lotz/i-believe-our-nation-is-in-deep-trouble-we-seem-to-have-lost-our/) [Anne Graham Lotz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-graham-lotz/) > [Of course you can't go wrong with Daniel Kitson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-horne/of-course-you-can-t-go-wrong-with-daniel-kitson/) [Alex Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-horne/) > [“Lanny Bellin, Daniel’s stepfather.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-fairstein/lanny-bellin-daniel-s-stepfather/) [Linda Fairstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-fairstein/) > [There's a devil inside me which cries, "You're not the son of the Carpenter, you're the son of King David! You are not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/there-s-a-devil-inside-me-which-cries-you-re-not-the-son-of-the/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [I'm not, like, Daniel Day Lewis. Yet. I will get there!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-plaza/i-m-not-like-daniel-day-lewis-yet-i-will-get-there/) [Aubrey Plaza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-plaza/) > [“Daniel was malleable, everyone and no one, a collector of moods, a careful observer of the right thing to say. He watched other people’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-ko/daniel-was-malleable-everyone-and-no-one-a-collector-of-moods-a/) [Lisa Ko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-ko/) > [“Daniel's mind is a scorpion stinging itself to death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-spencer/daniel-s-mind-is-a-scorpion-stinging-itself-to-death/) [Scott Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-spencer/) > [“Thank you,” he said. Luce felt her lips quiver and her eyes burn. Before she knew what she was doing, she fell into Cam’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-kate/thank-you-he-said-luce-felt-her-lips-quiver-and-her-eyes-burn-before/) [Lauren Kate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-kate/) > [“A teleporting cat! Is she yours?" Dr. Daniel McCleod. "Suki”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-dawn-benefield/a-teleporting-cat-is-she-yours-dr-daniel-mccleod-suki/) [Ellen Dawn Benefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-dawn-benefield/) > [You have to be completely in the character, and that's so hard to do. That's why, when they call, 'Cut!,' you often feel yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-montgomery/you-have-to-be-completely-in-the-character-and-that-s-so-hard-to-do/) [Janet Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-montgomery/) > [“Daniel var en mand som forstod adskillig, han hadde været ute for et og andet i livet, hadde mistet både sin farsgård og sin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/daniel-var-en-mand-som-forstod-adskillig-han-hadde-v-ret-ute-for-et/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [I live like in the days of Daniel Boone, hauling water by hand. I used to have two Rolls-Royces. Now I got one. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-dale/i-live-like-in-the-days-of-daniel-boone-hauling-water-by-hand-i-used/) [Dick Dale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-dale/) > [Daniel 9:9 NIV; The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/daniel-9-9-niv-the-lord-our-god-is-merciful-and-forgiving-even-though/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) [Browse all 210 Daniel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daniel/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In short, Daniel was once again a member of a family. Viewed from without they were a strange enough family: a rattling, hunchbacked old woman, a spoiled senile cocker spaniel, and a eunuch with a punctured career (for though Rey didn’t live with them, his off-stage presence was as abiding and palpable as that of any paterfamilias away every day at the office). And Daniel himself. 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