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Source identified
“They teach us quite as much as we teach them.”

Louisa May Alcott · Fictional character · Friedrich Bhaer

Source
Little Men
Date
1871
Attribution
Source identified
Voice / speaker
Fictional character · Friedrich Bhaer
Meaning

What does this quote mean?

Education is reciprocal: adults may guide children, but close attention to children also teaches adults patience, perspective, honesty, and better ways of understanding growth.

Source context

Where does it come from?

Little Men; the observation describes the mutual education taking place in the Plumfield household and school rather than a one-way transfer of knowledge.

Primary / edition source ↗

Voice attribution

Who voices the line?

Fictional character · Friedrich Bhaer. Mr. Bhaer says this in Little Men while he and Jo watch the children at Plumfield.

The source author and the local speaker can be different, especially in fiction, drama, dialogue and poetry.

Attribution

How should this attribution be read?

This wording is connected with the named source shown above. Translations and editions can vary, so consult the source note when exact wording matters.

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Themes

Ideas connected with this quotation