"If we read one man robbed or murdered , or killed by accident, or one house burned, or one vessel wrecked, or one steamboat blown up, or one cow run over on the Western Railroad, or one mad dog killed, or one lot of grasshoppers in the winter, we never read of another. One is enough.."
2007-12-20 06:56:33 · 4 answers · asked by dan c 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Quotations
It is referring to the human condition. We hear something horrible and then we move on. The first woman to drown her children shocked us, now, when it happens, we don't even give it a second thought. We read right past it.
2007-12-20 07:33:45 · answer #1 · answered by kirk m 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
These events are only interesting when they're rare. If one pops up against a background of other events, fine, they make for interesting copy. But you don't want to read about these minor events time and time again.
For instance, you read one day that a house burns. Fine, very interesting. The next day, same thing happens. You glance at the headline, don't read the story. The next day, same thing happens. Ho hum. Certainly there must be SOMETHING interesting in the paper.
2007-12-20 15:34:03 · answer #2 · answered by dnldslk 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it means that when we read of something happening that could have been prevented as human beings we try and prevent it happening again to anyone or anything else ...thats my interpretation ..I could be wrong
2007-12-20 15:03:34 · answer #3 · answered by pineforestkim 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A short answer would be another quote: "seen one, seen 'em all."
2007-12-20 15:36:06 · answer #4 · answered by Elaine P...is for Poetry 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋