Final answer:
The stranger's statement to the father about loving his children suggests that love is crucial to sustaining the family. This theme is a common undertone in literature, highlighting love as a necessary element for family cohesion and survival amid various challenges.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the stranger suggests to the father, "You must love them - of course... otherwise it would all come to an end," it underscores a prevalent theme of familial love and responsibility. This idea is echoed throughout various texts, where parental love is depicted as a cornerstone of family structure and stability.
For instance, the excerpt from LibreTexts™, "Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys," represents this love as a guiding force for loyalty and commitment. Similarly, in other texts, the concept of love is challenged by external pressures, such as poverty or societal expectations, but poses the idea that love must persist to maintain the integrity of the family unit.