"And I think that that emphasis on keeping a family together, alike, I think it's important"
About this Quote
The sentence has the soft, improvisational feel of someone thinking aloud rather than delivering a polished slogan, and that’s exactly where its power sits. Suzman isn’t declaring a manifesto; she’s staking out a moral preference in the careful language of an actor accustomed to interview rooms, not podiums. The doubled “I think,” the filler “that that,” even the awkward “alike,” read less like verbal clutter than like caution: a public figure signaling values while leaving room for complexity, exceptions, and the messy reality families tend to be.
The intent is protective. “Emphasis” points to culture, not just personal choice: what a society rewards, romanticizes, or punishes. By foregrounding “keeping a family together,” she aligns herself with continuity, caretaking, and the idea that stability is worth defending. Yet the subtext is that the family is also under pressure - from divorce narratives, economic strain, political upheaval, migration, or simply modern life’s centrifugal forces. You don’t argue for keeping something together unless you sense it pulling apart.
As an actress whose career spans apartheid-era South Africa and the shifting norms of British theater and television, Suzman’s remark carries a generational edge: a belief in durable bonds, paired with an awareness that public conversations about family often become moral battlegrounds. The line’s restraint is strategic; it invites agreement without naming the adversary. That’s how it works: not as a sharp take, but as a quiet attempt to steady the room.
The intent is protective. “Emphasis” points to culture, not just personal choice: what a society rewards, romanticizes, or punishes. By foregrounding “keeping a family together,” she aligns herself with continuity, caretaking, and the idea that stability is worth defending. Yet the subtext is that the family is also under pressure - from divorce narratives, economic strain, political upheaval, migration, or simply modern life’s centrifugal forces. You don’t argue for keeping something together unless you sense it pulling apart.
As an actress whose career spans apartheid-era South Africa and the shifting norms of British theater and television, Suzman’s remark carries a generational edge: a belief in durable bonds, paired with an awareness that public conversations about family often become moral battlegrounds. The line’s restraint is strategic; it invites agreement without naming the adversary. That’s how it works: not as a sharp take, but as a quiet attempt to steady the room.
Quote Details
| Topic | Family |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
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