Skip to content

Mothering Quote by Toni Morrison

“florens would sigh then, her head on lina's shoulder and when sleep came the little girl's smiel lingered. mother hunger – to be one or have one – both of them were reeling from that longing which, lina knes, remained alive, traveling to the bone.” quote by Toni Morrison
Download Open image
““florens would sigh then, her head on lina's shoulder and when sleep came the little girl's smiel lingered. mother hunger – to be one or have one – both of them were reeling from that longing which, lina knes, remained alive, traveling to the bone.””

Toni Morrison

About This Quote

Source Novel: Beloved, 1987

A mother’s longing for a child intertwines with hunger, creating a lingering, haunting desire that persists deep within.

In simple terms: A mother longs deeply for a child.

Key Takeaway

Acknowledge deep yearning and its impact.

Themes

family longing hunger memory identity

Mood

melancholic poetic

Type

literary emotional

When to use this quote

  • parenting
  • grief
  • cultural heritage

Key Concepts

maternal love existential yearning

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does “hunger” symbolize?
  • How does longing shape identity?
A Different Perspective

The passage is poetic and abstract, may be hard to interpret.

2.3 out of 5 (6 ratings)

More by Toni Morrison

Explore all 774 Toni Morrison quotes

More Mothering quotes

Browse all 146 Mothering quotes