I feel like I've been standing underneath an open window, just as a baby gets tossed out. I grab the baby, right, because who wouldn't? But then another baby gets tossed out, so I pass the baby to someone else, and I make the catch. This keeps happening. And before you know it there are a whole bunch of people who are getting really good at passing along babies, just like I'm good at catching them, but no one ever asks who the fuck is throwing the babies out the window in the first place.
The quote from Jodi Picoult's "Small Great Things" reflects a powerful metaphor about societal issues and individual roles within them. The narrator describes a scenario where babies are being thrown out of a window, illustrating the urgent need for intervention. As they catch one baby, another follows, highlighting an ongoing cycle of emergencies that demand attention. This imagery emphasizes the instinct to help others when crises arise.
However, the metaphor also raises a crucial question about accountability. While people become adept at managing immediate crises, they neglect to address the root causes of these problems—the ones who are throwing the babies out in the first place. This suggests that while responding to urgent issues is essential, there is also a deeper responsibility to confront and resolve the systemic problems that lead to such crises.
