Shannon Ellison’s Reviews > The Eye of the Heron > Status Update

“But they can’t just go off into the wilderness,” said Luz, who had been listening to her thoughts as well as to her father‘s words. “Who would farm the fields?”
Her father ignored her question by repeating it, thus transforming a feminine expression of emotion into a masculine assessment of fact. “They can’t, of course, be allowed to start scattering like this. They provide necessary labor.”

People said what suited their purposes, when they were serious; and when they weren’t serious, they talked without meaning anything at all.