"My father was frightened of his mother; I was frightened of my father, and I am damned well going to see to it that my children are frightened of me"
About this Quote
The phrasing is telling. “Frightened” repeats like a drumbeat, turning inheritance into a chain of command. Each generation doesn’t merely suffer intimidation; it treats it as a necessary technology, a mechanism for keeping the next link in place. Then comes the pivot: “damned well,” a flash of profanity that feels almost modern, less courtly than cornered. It’s the language of a man asserting control where he can, translating anxiety into policy. In three clauses, patriarchy becomes a self-justifying institution: I endured it, therefore it works, therefore I will perpetuate it.
Context sharpens the cynicism. George V’s reign sits amid democratic pressure, labor unrest, the First World War, and the slow thinning of royal authority. When political power is constrained, symbolic power gets more precious. Fear inside the household mirrors fear as public posture: the stiff upper lip as discipline, emotional distance as legitimacy. The subtext isn’t just “children must obey.” It’s “the crown must not look negotiable.”
The tragedy is how small the ambition is. This is generational trauma dressed up as tradition, a ruler defending the only kind of stability he knows: submission.
Quote Details
| Topic | Parenting |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
V, King George. (2026, January 18). My father was frightened of his mother; I was frightened of my father, and I am damned well going to see to it that my children are frightened of me. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-father-was-frightened-of-his-mother-i-was-9547/
Chicago Style
V, King George. "My father was frightened of his mother; I was frightened of my father, and I am damned well going to see to it that my children are frightened of me." FixQuotes. January 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-father-was-frightened-of-his-mother-i-was-9547/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"My father was frightened of his mother; I was frightened of my father, and I am damned well going to see to it that my children are frightened of me." FixQuotes, 18 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-father-was-frightened-of-his-mother-i-was-9547/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
