Ratliff continued, "She eases up on songs with total-affirmation chants about being the captain of her ship.
The bleakness in The Night Cleaner is less about material deprivation (though that is evident) than about the total absence of social affirmation in these working lives.
As a moral statement, a hunger strike is two things: (1) a defiant assertion of freedom in the face of authorities with seemingly-total control, and (2) an affirmation of resolve, to the point of willingness to endure suffering and personal risk.
They shared the Calvinists' affirmation of God's total responsibility for human salvation, but they tended to be silent or to relegate to the area of mystery the issue of how God could be responsible for salvation but not damnation.
"Beloved Papa was no total prick," I said quietly, nodding in affirmation.
Higher scores on total homonegativity and all three sub-scales (personal, morality, and gay affirmation) were significantly associated with higher unrecognized HIV infection.
She smiles in affirmation.
Are we seeking affirmation?
Individual affirmation is discouraged.
