--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After that there was silence for a while…" description: "\"“After that there was silence for a while, only the sound of the shovel biting into the earth and the hissing splatter of the loose dirt. They stood hi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7c/cornell-woolrich-2734_constellation_after-that-there-was-silence-for-a-while_1959778.png" --- # After that there was silence for a while, only the sound… ![“After that there was silence for a while, only the sound of the shovel biting into the earth and the hissing splatter of the loose dirt. They stood him up, his back to the well. In the dark, desperate sky, just above the scalloped line the treetops made, three stars formed a pleading little…” quote by Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7c/cornell-woolrich-2734_constellation_after-that-there-was-silence-for-a-while_1959778.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7c/cornell-woolrich-2734_constellation_after-that-there-was-silence-for-a-while_1959778.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7c/cornell-woolrich-2734_constellation_after-that-there-was-silence-for-a-while_1959778.png) > ““After that there was silence for a while, only the sound of the shovel biting into the earth and the hissing splatter of the loose dirt. They stood him up, his back to the well. In the dark, desperate sky, just above the scalloped line the treetops made, three stars formed a pleading little constellation. No one looked at them, no one cared. This was the time for death, not the time for mercy. ("The Number's Up")”” [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A grim scene where a man is left to die, emphasizing the cold indifference of fate. **In simple terms:** He is left to die without mercy. Key Takeaway Accept harsh realities. Themes death fate indifference Mood dark somber Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - war zones - crime scenes - survival situations Key Concepts existentialism nihilism Questions to Reflect On - What would you do when faced with inevitable death? - Can compassion change fate? A Different Perspective Mercy may be absent in dire moments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Constellation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constellation/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Night sky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night-sky/) [Sky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sky/) ## Related quotes > [Looking up in the sky, I saw the stars were brighter now. They made a pattern I had never noticed before- a gleaming constellation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/looking-up-in-the-sky-i-saw-the-stars-were-brighter-now-they-made-a/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [“Well, I suppose we must be going on again,' he said. 'I wonder how long it will be before we really are caught and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/well-i-suppose-we-must-be-going-on-again-he-said-i-wonder-how-long-it/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [“...when we broke the surface again the first thing I saw was the great bold stripe of the Milky Way painted across the heavens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/when-we-broke-the-surface-again-the-first-thing-i-saw-was-the-great/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [“There she stood. Dark circles ringed her eyes. Her face was pale, almost snow-white. She probably hadn't slept, either. She was still wearing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ehrenhaft/there-she-stood-dark-circles-ringed-her-eyes-her-face-was-pale-almost/) [Daniel Ehrenhaft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ehrenhaft/) > [“And you are death to us. We remain a mystery to you myriad warmlife races. To you bustling carbon-children of thermonuclear heat and searing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-you-are-death-to-us-we-remain-a-mystery-to-you-myriad-warmlife/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [But my gloom did not lessen. I knew that I'd had a bad dream, and I stood in the dark trying to recollect it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/but-my-gloom-did-not-lessen-i-knew-that-i-d-had-a-bad-dream-and-i/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [I knew life Began where I stood in the dark, Looking out into the light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusef-komunyakaa/i-knew-life-began-where-i-stood-in-the-dark-looking-out-into-the-light/) [Yusef Komunyakaa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusef-komunyakaa/) > [“Even stars are formed by loss. You know astronomers believe that galaxies are forged out of huge collapsing stars--- hollow, imploding on themselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/even-stars-are-formed-by-loss-you-know-astronomers-believe-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Above them, a riot of stars formed horses and birds and magical creatures." Chapter 9 · Page 80 · Location 1434”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/above-them-a-riot-of-stars-formed-horses-and-birds-and-magical/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“Just as you will never lose me, you will never lose your crown. Your coronet will guide sailors to safety through the labyrinth of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-saint/just-as-you-will-never-lose-me-you-will-never-lose-your-crown-your/) Jennifer Saint > [My thoughts are like STARS I cannot fathom into constellation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryam/my-thoughts-are-like-stars-i-cannot-fathom-into-constellation/) [Maryam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryam/) > [“It never happens that a new constellation suddenly rises out of the east. There is an order, a predictability, a permanence about the stars.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-never-happens-that-a-new-constellation-suddenly-rises-out-of-the/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Never ever forget that you are a constellation and I have owned a telescope since the day I was born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-francisco/never-ever-forget-that-you-are-a-constellation-and-i-have-owned-a/) [Rudy Francisco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-francisco/) > [“Paint speckled her skin like a colourful constellation of freckles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerri-maniscalco/paint-speckled-her-skin-like-a-colourful-constellation-of-freckles/) [Kerri Maniscalco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerri-maniscalco/) > [“You found me in a constellation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-zappia/you-found-me-in-a-constellation/) [Francesca Zappia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-zappia/) ## More by Cornell Woolrich > [“He should have caught up with me inside of fifteen minutes at the outside, if he'd been able to get on the next train…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/he-should-have-caught-up-with-me-inside-of-fifteen-minutes-at-the/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Home? What is home? Home is where a house is that you come back to when the rainy season is about to begin, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/home-what-is-home-home-is-where-a-house-is-that-you-come-back-to-when/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Gates got up, but not fast or jerkily, with the same slowness that had always characterized him. He wiped the sweat off his palms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/gates-got-up-but-not-fast-or-jerkily-with-the-same-slowness-that-had/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“As the bartender struck a match to light her cigarette, she put her hand on his wrist to steady it. Travis saw him jump,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/as-the-bartender-struck-a-match-to-light-her-cigarette-she-put-her/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“That was enough dialogue for a few pages - he had to get into some fast, red-hot action. There weren't any more hitches now.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/that-was-enough-dialogue-for-a-few-pages-he-had-to-get-into-some-fast/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Murder is such an elastic term, isn't it? ("Mind Over Murder")”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/murder-is-such-an-elastic-term-isn-t-it-mind-over-murder/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“She was beautiful, only hers was the dark beauty of night, just as Sherry's was the bright beauty of daytime. Her hair was raven-black,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/she-was-beautiful-only-hers-was-the-dark-beauty-of-night-just-as/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“And I still say it was just a coincidence;' he muttered pugnaciously. 'You say it too! Look at me and say it! It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/and-i-still-say-it-was-just-a-coincidence-he-muttered-pugnaciously/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“And then finally she came - and the whole world faded out around us and we were just alone on the crowded sidewalk. I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/and-then-finally-she-came-and-the-whole-world-faded-out-around-us-and/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“One of the two owners, the man who had been sitting in the front room, was stretched out in there asleep, stockinged-toes pointed at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/one-of-the-two-owners-the-man-who-had-been-sitting-in-the-front-room/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“But that's the Way, and there is no other. And once his mind's made up, the trembling and aimless walking stops, and he can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/but-that-s-the-way-and-there-is-no-other-and-once-his-mind-s-made-up/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“He just lingers long enough to see his plane put to bed properly, then grabs a cab at the airport-gate. "The Settlement" and forgetting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/he-just-lingers-long-enough-to-see-his-plane-put-to-bed-properly-then/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“There was a pause, while I fought against this other, lesser kind of death that was creeping over me - this death called strangeness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/there-was-a-pause-while-i-fought-against-this-other-lesser-kind-of/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Every life is a mystery. And every story of every life is a mystery. But it is not what happens that is the mystery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/every-life-is-a-mystery-and-every-story-of-every-life-is-a-mystery/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Evans made himself their spokesman. "Charlie and Joe," he offered. "Remember us? We brought a friend back with us this time." Girls evidently didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/evans-made-himself-their-spokesman-charlie-and-joe-he-offered/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) [Explore all 152 Cornell Woolrich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) ## More Constellation quotes > [“You found me in a constellation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-zappia/you-found-me-in-a-constellation/) [Francesca Zappia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-zappia/) > [“Paint speckled her skin like a colourful constellation of freckles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerri-maniscalco/paint-speckled-her-skin-like-a-colourful-constellation-of-freckles/) [Kerri Maniscalco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerri-maniscalco/) > [“Never ever forget that you are a constellation and I have owned a telescope since the day I was born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-francisco/never-ever-forget-that-you-are-a-constellation-and-i-have-owned-a/) [Rudy Francisco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-francisco/) > [“It never happens that a new constellation suddenly rises out of the east. There is an order, a predictability, a permanence about the stars.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-never-happens-that-a-new-constellation-suddenly-rises-out-of-the/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [My thoughts are like STARS I cannot fathom into constellation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryam/my-thoughts-are-like-stars-i-cannot-fathom-into-constellation/) [Maryam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryam/) > [“Just as you will never lose me, you will never lose your crown. Your coronet will guide sailors to safety through the labyrinth of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-saint/just-as-you-will-never-lose-me-you-will-never-lose-your-crown-your/) Jennifer Saint > [“She wasn't a constellation. She was a galaxy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nitya-prakash/she-wasn-t-a-constellation-she-was-a-galaxy/) [Nitya Prakash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nitya-prakash/) > [Los Angeles is a constellation of plastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/los-angeles-is-a-constellation-of-plastic/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [“We were random stars, and he made us a constellation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-giles/we-were-random-stars-and-he-made-us-a-constellation/) [Gail Giles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-giles/) > [Governments can't keep looking over the shoulder or at the constellation of stars. You have got to do what you have got to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jairam-ramesh/governments-can-t-keep-looking-over-the-shoulder-or-at-the/) [Jairam Ramesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jairam-ramesh/) > [“The sky pulsed with stars. Some people say it makes them lonesome when they stare up at the night sky. I can't imagine why.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-oppel/the-sky-pulsed-with-stars-some-people-say-it-makes-them-lonesome-when/) [Kenneth Oppel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-oppel/) > [Every constellation’s like its own fairy tale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-miller/every-constellation-s-like-its-own-fairy-tale/) [Lauren Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-miller/) > [“Maybe we are stars apart from each other, that there's an invisible line connecting us. I'd like to think we are together in one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-an/maybe-we-are-stars-apart-from-each-other-that-there-s-an-invisible/) [Nicola An](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-an/) > [“The Draco or Dragon System is an extensive straggling constellation in the Northern Hemisphere near Ursa Major. This was his planet in his galaxy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-s-murray/the-draco-or-dragon-system-is-an-extensive-straggling-constellation/) [Kenneth S. Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-s-murray/) > [“Shining stars linked together through time. A constellation of murder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-beukes/shining-stars-linked-together-through-time-a-constellation-of-murder/) [Lauren Beukes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-beukes/) [Browse all 33 Constellation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constellation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“After that there was silence for a while, only the sound of the shovel biting into the earth and the hissing splatter of the loose dirt. They stood him up, his back to the well. In the dark, desperate sky, just above the scalloped line the treetops made, three stars formed a pleading little constellation. 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