Waleed Ahmed
Mr. Soeth
English 3 AP
February 9, 2011
REHUGO – Universal Truths
A. We cannot destroy kindred: our chains stretch a little sometimes, but they never break. - Marquise de Sévigné
Marie de Rabutin-Chantal was a French aristocrat of the 17th century mostly known for her vivid and witty letter-writing. Her letters were addressed to her daughter who married a nobleman and spent many days away from the Marquise de Sévigné
“The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.” -Theodore Hesburgh
Father Theodore Hesburgh was a prominent priest during the 20th century. Having earned a doctorate in Sacred Theology and serving as the president of the University of Notre Dame, his experience made him an influential voice not only in the Catholic Church, but also in US politics since he served in government commissions and non-profit organizations.
B. Both quotes focus on the ties and relationships within a family unit.
a. The first quote states that a family will not be able to separate, even in times of struggle or through distance. No matter how far one tries to deny their relationship in a family, they won’t be able to disassociate from the kin that are destined to be in a person’s life. For example, the author uses the word chains to imply that a person is permanently stuck within an unbreakable relationship with their family. Furthermore, this quote concerns how a family will not suffer when separated by a distance. In context to the original author, Marquise de Sévigné, this quote can be used to describe the strong relationship that the Marquise held with her daughter even though they saw little of each other.
b. The second quote acknowledges how a family needs the aid of the father for the children to be able to thrive. Considering that this quote was written during the mid-1900s when gender roles were still prominent, the father being the stereotypical breadwinner of the family would be the only candidate of the two parents to be able to stably support his family. If the father walked out on the family, then that family would have lost an influential figurehead for the children and also a source of income. However, even if a father chooses to divorce, the children are force to abandoned the family they were brought up in have relationships with another family if the mother chooses to remarry. The fluctuating family will potentially affect the children as they are growing up.
C. Relevancy of the first quote is especially applicable today. With the rise of communications technology and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, a family can easily stay in touch no matter where they are in the world. An example would be how a student ventures out of his parent’s house during his college years. Even though the student is living within dorms, through email and phone calls, he or she is able to hold firm relations with his parents. The context of the second quote has broadened in our current era. Nowadays, a family needs the aid of the mother just as much as the father. For example, women now hold an equal status to men in the accumulation of income and along with their established role of rearing the children, it is more devastating to the stability of the family to lose a mother.
MLA Citation:
Rabutin-Chantal, Marie. "Family Quotes, Sayings about Families." The Quote Garden - Quotes, Sayings, Quotations, Verses. The Quote Garden. Web. 10 Feb. 2011.
Theodore, Hesburgh. "Theodore Hesburgh Quotes." Find the Famous Quotes You Need, ThinkExist.com Quotations. ThinkExist.com. Web. 10 Feb. 2011.
In explaining the second quote, I have no idea how you go off onto the tangent of divorce. I was very confused by that paragraph as there is nothing in the quote about leaving a family. What does it mean for a father to love the chidren's mother? What will that teach them? You may have a different insight there, but look at the context if you can, focus on the positive unelss you are told different.
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