Forgotten Fire Patriotism Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

And it was not the war. Or rather, it was the other one no one had declared, the one the snow could bury and the wind could blow away. (19.14)

The war might not be fought with weapons and bombs, but it's certainly real to Vahan and his family. The thing is though, they are singled out for being Armenian and no other reason.

Quote #5

I was an Armenian, and in Turkey anything could happen to an Armenian for any reason or for no reason at all. (22.1)

One, two, three: Ugh. You might say that the nationalism of the Turks forces a sense of patriotism over his Armenian identity to grow in Vahan—after all, he's treated as Armenian whether he wants to be or not.

Quote #6

Still, their presence was a comfort to me. It was good to have my own people near me, to know that I was not completely alone. (22.29)

The truth is that Mrs. Mahari is only comforting to Vahan because of their shared heritage. Even though Armenians are killed for their nationality, Vahan is comforted by people around him who share his history—it reminds him of home and gives him hope.