I mean, it's like we all get our raw materials from our families―but it's up to us whether we build bridges or bombs.
Neal ShustermanRead
She smiles at them as they go by and continues to play, making it clear that this furnace of a place, full of planes that cannot fly, is more than it seems. It is a womb of redemption for every Unwind, and fora ll those who fought the Heartland War and lost - which was everybody.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that even in seemingly hopeless situations, there is potential for healing and redemption.
This quote by Neal Shusterman reflects on the idea that amidst despair and loss—symbolized by the furnace-like setting and the failed planes—there exists a deeper purpose. It implies that places associated with suffering can also serve as spaces of transformation and renewal, offering redemption for those who have faced significant challenges, like the characters from the Heartland War. The metaphor of a womb invokes notions of nurturing and rebirth, emphasizing the possibility of finding hope and new beginnings even in bleak circumstances.
Themes
RedemptionHopeLossTransformationWar
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about resilience to young adults contemplating their futures.
More from Neal Shusterman
All quotes →Either things happen for a reason, or they happen for no reason at all. Either one's life is a thread in a glorious tapestry or humanity is just a hopelessly tangled knot.
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Unwinds didn't go out with a bang-they didn't even go out with a whimper. they went out with the silence of a candle flame pinched between two fingers.
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Words don't hurt you." Which is one of the hugest criminal lies perpetrated by adults against children in this world. Because words hurt more than any physical pain.
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Which is worse, Risa often wondered, to have tens of thousands of babies that no one wanted or to silently make then go away before they were even born
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They say you never know who's the real hero and who's the real coward until you're looking death in the face. I've always been afraid of plenty of things, but fear isn't what makes you a coward. It's how depraved your heart becomes when fear gets pumped through it.
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