'Why do you fight?' ... He kept his wife, his kid, from dying. That was nothing. Less than nothing. If he had had money, if he could have left it to them, he would have been free to go and get killed. As if the universe had not treated him all his life with kicks in the belly, it now despoiled him of the only dignity he could ever possess - his death.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- A man's sacrifice to protect family is stripped of dignity by poverty, leaving death as his only remaining possession.
- In plain terms
- Poverty robs a man of dignity, leaving death as all he owns.
- What can you take from it?
- Dignity is vital and often threatened by hardship.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What gives your life dignity?
- How do you handle hardship?
Another view
It assumes death is the last resort for dignity.
More from Andre Malraux
The attempt to force human beings to despise themselves: is what I call hell.
Permalink to quote #6 The sons of torture victims make good terrorists.
Permalink to quote #8 The great mystery is not that we should have been thrown down here at random between the profusion of matter and that of the stars; it is that from our very pr…
Permalink to quote #5
Related quotes
So little in his purse, so much upon his back.
Joseph HallJoseph Hall quote #1 'Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents,' grumbled Jo, lying on the rug. 'It's so dreadful to be poor!' sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress. '…
Louisa May AlcottLouisa May Alcott quote #2 This country is heaven, in the spiritual sense of the word. And I say, we prefer to die in heaven than survive in hell.
Fidel CastroFidel Castro quote #3