Pawns Quotes

“When you know what a man wants you know who he is, and how to move him.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Storm of Swords

“Humans who thought they were advancing around the chessboard of life as knights and bishops were actually among the multitude of pawns, advancing like fodder to their inevitable demise for the true kings residing behind the curtains, whose presence was invisible to virtually all the pieces on the chessboard.”
― Jasun Ether, The Beasts of Success

“What separates us into engineers and robots, puppeteers and puppets, kings and pawns, is not the status we hold at any given time among others - status is irrelevant; it is the level of ever-present awareness we have of a grey-matter tailor's tools [of flattery, persuasion, and cunning.]”
― A.J. Darkholme, Rise of the Morningstar

“The closer we get—the more I let you in…the more dangerous this gets. We’re just pawns in this game, and I wasn’t playing before. I was just a piece to move about the board, but I am playing now. Don’t you get it? You’re what everyone wants! But I’m not going to let them win.”
― Cassandra Giovanni, In Between Seasons

“Life is short, precious, and should not be wasted.
Everyone has a chance at it. We’re equals after all.
There are no pawns, no kings, and no queens.
We’re all humans and we all have the same value.”
― Cristelle Comby, Blind Chess

“Self-doubt and Depression are the real killers. The other are just pawns.”
― Deyth Banger

“On the path to Conquer the throne,
some of your pawns must die...

If your eyes aim the big kill,
you must learn to eat humble pie.”
― Aamir Sarfraz (aamir rajput khan)

“We are pawns of life, in dreams,
Queens and kings of fate, it seems -
In our earthly realm we dare to think,
But instead of reigning, we fall to sleep.”
― D.C. Thomas, Her Suns And Their Daughters: Daughters Of The Universe Seen

“God has made us as pawns... when he is bored of playing with us on the playground he just remove us... so what we to do now???
To move less, to move more???
- What??”
― Deyth Banger

“What are any of us but pawns in the schemes of the great?”
― C.J. Sansom, Dark Fire

“nobody stopped playing checkers just because the pieces included her children”
― Toni Morrison

“Perhaps we're a little more necessary to the war effort than you give us credit for," says Plutarch, unconcerned.

"Of course you are. The tributes were necessary to the Games, too. Until they weren't," I say. "And then we were very disposable - right, Plutarch?”
― Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay

“His garbled speech is barely comprehensible. "Give me one reason I shouldn't shoot you."

The rest of the world recede. There's only me looking into the wretched eyes of the man from the Nut who asks for one reason. Surely I should be able to come up with thousands. But the words that make it to my lips are "I can't."

Logically, the next thing that should happen is the man pulling the trigger. But he's perplexed, trying to make sense of my words. I experience my own confusion as I realize what I've said is entirely true, and the noble impulse that carried me across the square is replaced by despair. "I can't. That's the problem, isn't it?" I lower my bow. "We blew up your mine. You burned my district to the ground. We've got every reason to kill each other. So do it. Make the Capitol happy. I'm done killing their slaves for them." I drop my bow on the ground and give it a nudge with my boot. It slides across the stone and comes to rest at his knees.

"I'm not their slave," the man mutters.

"I am," I say. "That's why I killed Cato... and he killed Thresh... and he killed Clove... and she tried to kill me. It just goes around and around, and who wins? Not us. Not the districts. Always the Capitol. But I'm tired of being a piece in their games.”
― Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay

“He buried his head in his hands, confused, angry, and most of all afraid. Afraid of Dr. Gaul. Afraid of the Capitol. Afraid of everything. If the people who were supposed to protect you played so fast and loose with your life... then how did you survive? Not by trusting them, that was for sure. And if you couldn't trust them, who could you trust? All bets were off.”
― Suzanne Collins, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

“When they returned to the dais after lunch they found the mentor seats had been reduced to twelve, leaving only enough space for those with tributes still in the Games.

"The Gamemakers requested it," Satyria told the final dozen. "It makes it easier for the audience to keep track of who's still a contender. We're to keep removing seats as your tributes are killed."

"Like musical chairs," said Domitia with a pleased look.

"But with people dying," said Lysistrata.”
― Suzanne Collins, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

“You deserve to look beautiful tonight," Effie replies. "And I think you're all being very brave."

We don't have much choice, but it's nice to have someone recognize it.”
― Suzanne Collins, Sunrise on the Reaping

“The Twenty-fifth Games, the first Quarter Quell, proved particularly heinous, as the districts were forced to choose their own tributes rather than relying on the reaping. Another Flickerman named Lucky hosted with commentary from a relic of a woman named Gaul, who was credited with coining the phrase "May the odds be EVER in your favor" for the anniversary. That phrase has caught on as a way to wish someone good luck, but if you think about it, it's a sadistic thing to say to a tribute, given that survival's an impossibility for twenty-three of the twenty-four kids.”
― Suzanne Collins, Sunrise on the Reaping

“The Capitol citizens lose it and so do I, until I remember the joke's not just on Panache. It's on all of us stupid, clawed district piglets. Animals for their entertainment. Expendable for their pleasure. Too dumb to deserve to live.”
― Suzanne Collins, Sunrise on the Reaping

“She had to go. You have to go," Silka continues. "It's the only way I get back to my people."

"We all have people," I say. "You think yours will ever be able to forget this? I know mine won't." Write me off, Sid. Disown me. Spit when you hear my name. Failing at breaking the arena is nothing in the face of this.

"I'll tell how it was, when I get home," she says.

"Oh, you're not going home, Silka." I pull the ax from my belt. We're neither of us going home. I will kill her, and Snow will kill me. These Games will have no victor.

The second Quarter Quell poster.”
― Suzanne Collins, Sunrise on the Reaping

“I would like to kill him at that moment, but what would be the point? Instead, I say, "You think you're a good person, don't you, Plutarch? You think you're a good guy because you told me about the sun and the berms. When what you really did is help create the Capitol's propaganda and broadcast it to the country. Forty-nine kids died for it, but you gave it the old Heavensbee spin and, in that propo, you're some kind of hero."

Plutarch takes a moment to answer. "I'm nobody's idea of a hero, Haymitch. But at least I'm still in the game.”
― Suzanne Collins, Sunrise on the Reaping