Quote by Cesare Pavese, House on the Hill

This war burns our houses. It sows dead executed in open squares and roads. It chases us like hares from refuge to refuge. It will end up by forcing us to fight, to wring out an active approval. And the day will come when nobody will be outside the war, neither cowards, nor the sad, nor the lonely...But I saw the unknown dead, dead members of the Italian Social Republic. If a stranger, an enemy becomes such a thing when he dies, if we stop dead fearing to step over him, it means that even the defeated enemy is someone who after spilling blood must be pacified. This blood must be given a voice and those who spilled it must be justified. It is humiliating to look at certain dead. They are not others

Summary

The quote suggests that war is devastating and relentless, causing destruction and death. It also highlights the dehumanizing nature of war, as it forces people to fight against their will and turns enemies into nameless, forgotten individuals. The speaker reflects on their experience of witnessing the deaths of soldiers from the enemy's side, emphasizing the need to acknowledge and honor the humanity of those who have lost their lives, even if they were on the opposing side. The quote implies that it is essential to recognize the value of all lives and find a way to make peace with the aftermath of war.