"What has made this nation great? Not its heroes but its households"

This quote by Sarah Orne Jewett speaks to the value of the family unit in making a nation fantastic. Jewett is suggesting that it is not the individual heroes of a nation that make it great, however rather the cumulative strength of its homes. This suggests that the strength of a nation is not determined by the achievements of a few, but rather by the cumulative effort of its people. Jewett is highlighting the value of the family unit in creating a strong and flourishing country. She is recommending that it is the collective effort of households that makes a nation great, not the individual achievements of its heroes. This quote speaks with the power of cumulative effort and the value of the family in creating a strong and thriving country.