She has been condemned to death by hanging. A man may escape this death by becoming the hangman, a woman by marrying the hangman. But at the present time there is no hangman; thus there is no escape. There is only a death, indefinitely postponed. This is not fantasy, it is history.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- It describes a situation where escape from inevitable doom exists only through complicity in the system causing it, which currently does not exist.
- In plain terms
- There is no way to escape death unless you become part of the system that kills, but that system isn't here yet.
- What can you take from it?
- Sometimes the only escape from doom requires joining the enemy.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Can you escape without compromise?
- Is history truly fixed?
Another view
The metaphor relies on a specific historical context not provided.
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