It was very bad if the council had resorted to recruiting men. By tradition men were our last line of defence, their physical strength bent towards the single and most important task of protecting our homes and children. This meant the council had decided that our only defence was to defeat the enemy, period. Anything else meant the end of Darre.
Interpretation
The quote reflects on the necessity of defending one's home and children, revealing the weight of tradition and the urgency of survival in dire times.
In this quote, N.K. Jemisin underscores the gravity of the situation in which the council finds itself, suggesting that turning to men for defense signifies a serious threat to their way of life. The emphasis on physical strength and the traditional role of men as protectors highlights the dire circumstances that have forced the society to rely on their last line of defense against potential destruction, reinforcing the themes of survival and the desperation inherent in conflict.
In practice
This quote could be used in a discussion about the importance of protecting one's community during a crisis.
So here is why I write what I do: We all have futures. We all have pasts. We all have stories. And we all, every single one of us, no matter who we are and no matter what’s been taken from us or what poison we’ve internalized or how hard we’ve had to work to expel it – – we all get to dream.
There is nothing foolish about hope.
But love like that doesn't just disappear, does it? No matter how powerful the hate, there is always a little love left, underneath. Yes. Horrible, isn't it?
There is no greater warrior than a mother protecting her child.
Love betrayed has an entirely different sound from hatred outright.
Any woman can face the world alone, but why should we have to?
We are all dishonored when a veteran sleeps on the same streets that he or she has defended. We are all dishonored when a veteran's family has to live in a shelter while he or she is out fighting for us. WE NEED TO FIX THAT!
I declare to you that woman must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself, and there I take my stand.
If the work is worthwhile, then whether we can complete it or not, it's worth making the attempt. That's why courage is important.
There's nothing wrong with being afraid. It's not the absence of fear, it's overcoming it. Sometimes you've got to blast through and have faith.
I call upon you to draw from the depths of your being - to prove that we are a human race, to prove that our love outweighs our need to hate, that our compassion is more compelling than our need to blame.
Part of me wonders if I had worked with more female psychologists, nutritionists and even coaches, where I'd be today. I got caught in a system designed by and for men which destroys the bodies of young girls.
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