--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: (...) and turned his head for an instant…" description: "\"“(...) and turned his head for an instant to look back at his pursuers'.”\" — Charles Dickens" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67e/charles-dickens-34_self-explanatory_and-turned-his-head-for-an-instant-to-lo_2505899.jpg" --- # (...) and turned his head for an instant to look back at… ![“(...) and turned his head for an instant to look back at his pursuers'.” quote by Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67e/charles-dickens-34_self-explanatory_and-turned-his-head-for-an-instant-to-lo_2505899.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67e/charles-dickens-34_self-explanatory_and-turned-his-head-for-an-instant-to-lo_2505899.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67e/charles-dickens-34_self-explanatory_and-turned-his-head-for-an-instant-to-lo_2505899.jpg) > ““(...) and turned his head for an instant to look back at his pursuers'.”” [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A brief glance back at pursuers highlights the tension between escape and confrontation, underscoring the protagonist’s momentary doubt. **In simple terms:** Looking back reveals doubt. Key Takeaway Acknowledge fear but keep moving forward. Themes fear escape confrontation selfdoubt Mood anxious reflective Type literary motivational When to use this quote - running away - being chased - making decisions - facing past - overcoming fear Key Concepts literature psychology characterdevelopment Questions to Reflect On - What are you running from? - When is it wise to confront rather than flee? A Different Perspective Too much hesitation can halt progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“Revenge of the Giant Grill Man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/revenge-of-the-giant-grill-man/) [Joan Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bauer/) > [it was possible to grow up in an instant, that you could look down and see the line in the sand dividing your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/it-was-possible-to-grow-up-in-an-instant-that-you-could-look-down-and/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“In the distance. Above my head; above my head; and this instant which I cannot leave, which locks me in and limits me on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/in-the-distance-above-my-head-above-my-head-and-this-instant-which-i/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [“Hunters for gold or pursuers of fame, they all had gone out on that stream, bearing the sword, and often the torch, messengers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/hunters-for-gold-or-pursuers-of-fame-they-all-had-gone-out-on-that/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [“Ten feet from the car, a man stepped directly into our path. We came to a screeching halt, and I jerked Lissa back by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/ten-feet-from-the-car-a-man-stepped-directly-into-our-path-we-came-to/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [I like a cliche if it's sort of turned on its head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/i-like-a-cliche-if-it-s-sort-of-turned-on-its-head/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > ['You spin in the sky, the world spins under you, and you step from land to land, while we . . .' She turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/you-spin-in-the-sky-the-world-spins-under-you-and-you-step-from-land/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [“the old man turned his head, and his face expressed the sum total of the surprise which a man can still feel after a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/the-old-man-turned-his-head-and-his-face-expressed-the-sum-total-of/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [I've done that my whole life - I've taken the way people think and turned it on its head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-arnold/i-ve-done-that-my-whole-life-i-ve-taken-the-way-people-think-and/) [Frances Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-arnold/) > [“As he looked round, she too turned her head .Her shining gray eyes, that looked dark from the thick lashes, rested with friendly attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/as-he-looked-round-she-too-turned-her-head-her-shining-gray-eyes-that/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“She turned her head to look up at him. “This isn’t funny. I’m sure I threw up a cow. If I have to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mila-rossi/she-turned-her-head-to-look-up-at-him-this-isn-t-funny-i-m-sure-i/) [Mila Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mila-rossi/) > [“Whenever somebody turned his head, he shouted, "Stop looking behind you!: There was a strict rule against head turns. When reversing, you were supposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hessler/whenever-somebody-turned-his-head-he-shouted-stop-looking-behind-you/) [Peter Hessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hessler/) > [The queen had passed him, so close he'd felt the stir of air, and he guessed that if she had turned her head, only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-whalen-turner/the-queen-had-passed-him-so-close-he-d-felt-the-stir-of-air-and-he/) [Megan Whalen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-whalen-turner/) > [I shall never get used to not being the most beautiful woman in the room. It was an intoxication to sweep in and know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-randolph-churchill/i-shall-never-get-used-to-not-being-the-most-beautiful-woman-in-the/) [Lady Randolph Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-randolph-churchill/) > [I had the feeling that some horrible image was just beyond the field of vision, moving, as I turned my head, so that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/i-had-the-feeling-that-some-horrible-image-was-just-beyond-the-field/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) ## More by Charles Dickens > [“All other swindlers upon earth are nothing to the self-swindlers, and with such pretences did I cheat myself. Surely a curious thing. That I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/all-other-swindlers-upon-earth-are-nothing-to-the-self-swindlers-and/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [... Arthur Gride, whose bleared eyes gloated only over the outward beauties, and were blind to the spirit which reigned within, evinced - a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/arthur-gride-whose-bleared-eyes-gloated-only-over-the-outward/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [There can be no disparity in marriage like unsuitability of mind and purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-can-be-no-disparity-in-marriage-like-unsuitability-of-mind-and/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [A new heart for a New Year, always!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/a-new-heart-for-a-new-year-always/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“The suspense: the fearful, acute suspense: of standing idly by while the life of one we dearly love, is trembling in the balance; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-suspense-the-fearful-acute-suspense-of-standing-idly-by-while-the/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Mrs. Joe was a very clean housekeeper, but had an exquisite art of making her cleanliness more uncomfortable and unacceptable than dirt itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/mrs-joe-was-a-very-clean-housekeeper-but-had-an-exquisite-art-of/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [There seems a magic in the very name of Christmas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-seems-a-magic-in-the-very-name-of-christmas/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“evening, they began to think that although he could never hope to be an Englishman, still it would be hard to visit that affliction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/evening-they-began-to-think-that-although-he-could-never-hope-to-be/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Besides which, all that I could have said of the Story to any purpose, I had endeavoured to say in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/besides-which-all-that-i-could-have-said-of-the-story-to-any-purpose/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“The wheels rolled on, and rolled down by the Monument, and by the Tower; and by the Docks; down by Ratcliffe, and by Rotherhithe;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-wheels-rolled-on-and-rolled-down-by-the-monument-and-by-the-tower/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“The three customers pulled off their hats to Madame Defarge, with three flourishes. She acknowledged their homage by bending her head, and giving them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-three-customers-pulled-off-their-hats-to-madame-defarge-with/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“What a situation!' cried Miss Squeers; '...What is the reason that men fall in love with me, whether I like it or not, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/what-a-situation-cried-miss-squeers-what-is-the-reason-that-men-fall/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [I admire machinery as much is any man, and am as thankful to it as any man can be for what it does for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-admire-machinery-as-much-is-any-man-and-am-as-thankful-to-it-as-any/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Mr. Pickwick was a philosopher, but philosophers are only men in armour, after all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/mr-pickwick-was-a-philosopher-but-philosophers-are-only-men-in-armour/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) [Explore all 2,309 Charles Dickens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## More Self-explanatory quotes > [“Revenge of the Giant Grill Man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/revenge-of-the-giant-grill-man/) [Joan Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bauer/) Browse all 2 Self-explanatory quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“(...) and turned his head for an instant to look back at his pursuers'.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles Dickens" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/and-turned-his-head-for-an-instant-to-look-back-at-his-pursuers/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Self-explanatory" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/and-turned-his-head-for-an-instant-to-look-back-at-his-pursuers/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67e/charles-dickens-34_self-explanatory_and-turned-his-head-for-an-instant-to-lo_2505899.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67e/charles-dickens-34_self-explanatory_and-turned-his-head-for-an-instant-to-lo_2505899.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67e/charles-dickens-34_self-explanatory_and-turned-his-head-for-an-instant-to-lo_2505899.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“(...) and turned his head for an instant to look back at his pursuers'.” — Charles Dickens", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Charles Dickens", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“(...) and turned his head for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/and-turned-his-head-for-an-instant-to-look-back-at-his-pursuers/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/and-turned-his-head-for-an-instant-to-look-back-at-his-pursuers/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```