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To be without Doon, that was what frightened Jason the most. Doon was the foundation for his life, for good or ill; ever since Doon had found him, Jason had known nothing could go wrong in his life - Doon was watching. Now when he stumbled, who would lift him up? This was freedom after all, Jason realized, because from now on no one would save him from the consequences of his own acts. It wasn't freedom that I yearned for, was it? It was childhood that I wanted, and Doon is barring me from my refuge; he has been my father all these years, and now he's thrusting me away. 'Ill never forgive you for this'

Orson Scott Card#1011

GrowthFreedomResponsibilityAdulthood

About this quote

What does it mean?
The speaker realizes that freedom means taking full responsibility for actions without external support, which feels like losing childhood.
In plain terms
Freedom means no one saves you from your own mistakes.
What can you take from it?
Adulthood is accepting responsibility without a safety net.

Where it applies

  • coming of age
  • loss of mentor

Putting it to work

  • self-reliance
  • taking ownership

Questions to consider

  • Who do you blame now?
  • Is freedom worth the burden?

Another view

This realization can be deeply isolating.

More from Orson Scott Card

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  3. You had no choice No, but you'd be amazed at how often people who have no choice act as if they had one, and lose everything because they could not bear to do …

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