"At the moment of childbirth, every woman has the same aura of isolation, as though she were abandoned, alone"
About this Quote
The subtext is almost accusatory: society loves the results of birth (babies, lineage, continuity) while outsourcing the experience to the person in labor. “As though she were abandoned” reads like an indictment of how quickly community becomes symbolic rather than practical. People can be in the room, doctors can hover, a husband can squeeze a hand, yet the central event remains unshareable. Pain and risk create a privacy more absolute than modesty.
Context matters: Pasternak wrote in a world intoxicated with collectivist language, where the “we” of history was supposed to subsume the “I.” Against that backdrop, this line insists on the stubborn solitude inside even the most socially valorized act. Birth, usually enlisted as a metaphor for national renewal or ideological rebirth, becomes instead proof of the limits of solidarity - a reminder that the body has its own politics, and it’s fiercely individual.
Quote Details
| Topic | Mother |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Pasternak, Boris. (2026, January 18). At the moment of childbirth, every woman has the same aura of isolation, as though she were abandoned, alone. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/at-the-moment-of-childbirth-every-woman-has-the-7158/
Chicago Style
Pasternak, Boris. "At the moment of childbirth, every woman has the same aura of isolation, as though she were abandoned, alone." FixQuotes. January 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/at-the-moment-of-childbirth-every-woman-has-the-7158/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"At the moment of childbirth, every woman has the same aura of isolation, as though she were abandoned, alone." FixQuotes, 18 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/at-the-moment-of-childbirth-every-woman-has-the-7158/. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
