--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Lately, it had been an endless procession…" description: "\"“Lately, it had been an endless procession of long, black nights and gray mornings, when her sense of failure swept over her like a five-hundred-pound ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b6/fannie-flagg-3065_bullet_lately-it-had-been-an-endless-procession_12757.png" --- # Lately, it had been an endless procession of long, black… ![“Lately, it had been an endless procession of long, black nights and gray mornings, when her sense of failure swept over her like a five-hundred-pound wave; and she was scared. But it wasn't death that she feared. She had looked down into that black pit of death and had wanted to jump in, once too…” quote by Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b6/fannie-flagg-3065_bullet_lately-it-had-been-an-endless-procession_12757.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b6/fannie-flagg-3065_bullet_lately-it-had-been-an-endless-procession_12757.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b6/fannie-flagg-3065_bullet_lately-it-had-been-an-endless-procession_12757.png) > ““Lately, it had been an endless procession of long, black nights and gray mornings, when her sense of failure swept over her like a five-hundred-pound wave; and she was scared. But it wasn't death that she feared. She had looked down into that black pit of death and had wanted to jump in, once too often. As a matter of fact, the thought began to appeal to her more and more. She even knew how she would kill herself. It would be with a silver bullet. As round and as smooth as an ice-cold blue martini. She would place the gun in the freezer for a few hours before she did it, so it would feel frosty and cold against her head. She could almost feel the ice-cold bullet shooting through her hot, troubled brain, freezing the pain for good. The sound of the gun blast would be the last sound she would ever hear. And then... nothing. Maybe just the silent sound that a bird might hear, flying in the clean, cool air, high above the earth. The sweet, pure air of freedom. No, it wasn't death she was afraid of. It was this life of hers that was beginning to remind her of that gray intensive care waiting room.”” [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A woman confronts overwhelming despair, fearing the monotony and suffocation of life more than death, and imagines a cold, precise suicide as an escape to silence and freedom. **In simple terms:** Despair versus the dread of a stagnant life. Key Takeaway Life's emptiness can feel more terrifying than death. Themes despair existential dread mental illness escape loneliness freedom Mood melancholic haunting despairing Type literary monologue psychological vignette When to use this quote - feeling trapped in a routine - contemplating suicide - seeking relief from chronic sadness - experiencing emotional numbness - yearning for peace Key Concepts nihilism psychological torment self-harm imagery contrast of cold and heat Practical Applications - therapy for depression - creative writing exploring dark introspection Questions to Reflect On - What might change the protagonist's perception of her life? - How can one find meaning amidst persistent grayness? A Different Perspective The narrative romanticizes suicide, overlooking the possibility of recovery and support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bullet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bullet/) [Cold Bullet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold-bullet-372372/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death Feared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-feared-372374/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Matter of fact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter-of-fact/) [Shooting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shooting/) [Silver Bullet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silver-bullet-372373/) ## Related quotes > [“Ben Horowitz: “There is no silver bullet. . . . No, we’re going to have to use a lot of lead bullets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/ben-horowitz-there-is-no-silver-bullet-no-we-re-going-to-have-to-use/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [“Tis true, Dr. Buzzard, that a silver bullet must be of the largest and heaviest sort to travel with any amount o’ range or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-s-rice/tis-true-dr-buzzard-that-a-silver-bullet-must-be-of-the-largest-and/) [Rob S. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-s-rice/) > [You can't kill rock and roll without a silver bullet because she's a werewolf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-langston/you-can-t-kill-rock-and-roll-without-a-silver-bullet-because-she-s-a/) [Anthony Langston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-langston/) > [Education is the silver bullet to improve this Nation's standing worldwide... and our teachers know that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/education-is-the-silver-bullet-to-improve-this-nation-s-standing/) [Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/) > [Just as like the music industry still wishes for the days when it controlled its own production and distribution, the media and marketing world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/just-as-like-the-music-industry-still-wishes-for-the-days-when-it/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [From 1994 to 1996, I turned over every rock in Little Rock, looking for a silver bullet that would take down the Clintons in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brock/from-1994-to-1996-i-turned-over-every-rock-in-little-rock-looking-for/) [David Brock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brock/) > [There is no silver bullet for poverty alleviation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-taylor/there-is-no-silver-bullet-for-poverty-alleviation/) [Diana Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-taylor/) > [I don't believe that there's a silver bullet, that if you just do this one thing, you solve the problems of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darnell-m-hunt/i-don-t-believe-that-there-s-a-silver-bullet-that-if-you-just-do-this/) [Darnell M. Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darnell-m-hunt/) > [I don't think the Democrats need a silver bullet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/i-don-t-think-the-democrats-need-a-silver-bullet/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) > [“On the last good day he went to work for three hours and then came home and put on the History Channel. The program…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/on-the-last-good-day-he-went-to-work-for-three-hours-and-then-came/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Success comes from a thousand little things done well, rarely from a silver bullet, even though we'd all like to believe that as our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-r-w-lee-2/success-comes-from-a-thousand-little-things-done-well-rarely-from-a/) [L. R. W. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-r-w-lee-2/) > [Poetry is the cipher key to the five mystic wishes packed in a hollow silver bullet fed to a flying fish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/poetry-is-the-cipher-key-to-the-five-mystic-wishes-packed-in-a-hollow/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Death is feared as birth is forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-horton/death-is-feared-as-birth-is-forgotten/) [Douglas Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-horton/) > [Death is not something to be feared, but rather anticipated. Of course, we are not to precipitate it ourselves, as suicide is surrender and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berg/death-is-not-something-to-be-feared-but-rather-anticipated-of-course/) [David Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berg/) > [Death is not to be feared but it should drive us to live more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/death-is-not-to-be-feared-but-it-should-drive-us-to-live-more/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) ## More by Fannie Flagg > [“Oh it don't make no kind of sense. Big ol' ox like Grady won't sit next to a colored child. But he eats eggs-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/oh-it-don-t-make-no-kind-of-sense-big-ol-ox-like-grady-won-t-sit-next/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“The little girl knew if she bit any member of her family, they would get rabies too, and she died without ever having been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/the-little-girl-knew-if-she-bit-any-member-of-her-family-they-would/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [Albert and I would spend hours and hours looking at them. Cleo had this big magnifying glass on his desk, and we'd find centipedes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/albert-and-i-would-spend-hours-and-hours-looking-at-them-cleo-had/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [There Lives More Faith in Honest Doubt, Believe Me, Than Half the Creeds. - Alfred, Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/there-lives-more-faith-in-honest-doubt-believe-me-than-half-the/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Harris had done exactly what he had been told to do by the sexy dame from Oklahoma. After he had removed all of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/harris-had-done-exactly-what-he-had-been-told-to-do-by-the-sexy-dame/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“he surprised her by signing, “You are the most beautiful girl in the world.” Ander didn’t know it, but he had signed, “You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/he-surprised-her-by-signing-you-are-the-most-beautiful-girl-in-the/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Because, honey," she said, "after you've been to the moon, where else is there to go?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/because-honey-she-said-after-you-ve-been-to-the-moon-where-else-is/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Hello... is this Mrs. Fritzi Bevins?' 'Yes, it is.' 'From Pulaski, Wisconsin?' 'Yes.' 'Uh... you don't know me, but I recently received some papers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/hello-is-this-mrs-fritzi-bevins-yes-it-is-from-pulaski-wisconsin-yes/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Lenore had pushed her into had been a complete disaster.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/lenore-had-pushed-her-into-had-been-a-complete-disaster/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [Face it girls. I'm older and I have more insurance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/face-it-girls-i-m-older-and-i-have-more-insurance/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“I hate a book that jumps around. Also I can promise”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/i-hate-a-book-that-jumps-around-also-i-can-promise/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Remember, if people talk behind your back, it only that you are two steps ahead of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/remember-if-people-talk-behind-your-back-it-only-that-you-are-two/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Depression years come back to me now as the happy times, even though we were all struggling. We were happy and didn't know it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/depression-years-come-back-to-me-now-as-the-happy-times-even-though/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [One gal drank a can of floor wax and topped it off with a cup of Clorox, trying to separate herself from the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/one-gal-drank-a-can-of-floor-wax-and-topped-it-off-with-a-cup-of/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“By the way, Boots died and Opal says she hopes you're satisfied.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/by-the-way-boots-died-and-opal-says-she-hopes-you-re-satisfied/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) [Explore all 137 Fannie Flagg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) ## More Bullet quotes > [Luckily, the bullet that hit my chest never got to me. It was stopped by a silver case I got for my brother's wedding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-doohan/luckily-the-bullet-that-hit-my-chest-never-got-to-me-it-was-stopped/) [James Doohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-doohan/) > [So far I'm still standing on 'Sons of Anarchy' but all the rest of the people on the show have me in their crosshairs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-pileggi/so-far-i-m-still-standing-on-sons-of-anarchy-but-all-the-rest-of-the/) [Mitch Pileggi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-pileggi/) > [The bullet that will kill me is not yet cast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/the-bullet-that-will-kill-me-is-not-yet-cast/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [When a person has a gun, sometimes their mind clicks that this thing will win arguments and straighten people out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/when-a-person-has-a-gun-sometimes-their-mind-clicks-that-this-thing/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [When you give someone a second chance, you're giving them an extra bullet to shoot you with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-give-someone-a-second-chance-you-re-giving-them-an-extra/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If mankind's destined to bite the bullet, let's bite it and be damned.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-shan/if-mankind-s-destined-to-bite-the-bullet-let-s-bite-it-and-be-damned/) [Darren Shan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-shan/) > [This is like playing Russian roulette with a Luger rather than a revolver. One bullet, one chamber - and we're pulling the trigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lynas/this-is-like-playing-russian-roulette-with-a-luger-rather-than-a/) [Mark Lynas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lynas/) > [For Whom Would You Take This Bullet ?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-bassam/for-whom-would-you-take-this-bullet/) [Ali Bassam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-bassam/) > [“I don’t know how these things died without benefit of a bullet to the brain pan. They seemed to exist in an eternal twilight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-ramirez/i-don-t-know-how-these-things-died-without-benefit-of-a-bullet-to-the/) [Steven Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-ramirez/) > [I was playing in the league when Ray Guy was playing in the league. He was the best kicker I've ever seen. He could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gale-sayers/i-was-playing-in-the-league-when-ray-guy-was-playing-in-the-league-he/) [Gale Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gale-sayers/) > [I carved your name into this bullet so that everyone would know that you were the last thing going through my head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-carved-your-name-into-this-bullet-so-that-everyone-would-know-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you take a shot at someone, you keep firing until they can no longer return fire. Wound them, and you have an angry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-traviss/if-you-take-a-shot-at-someone-you-keep-firing-until-they-can-no/) [Karen Traviss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-traviss/) > [“So I heard the boom of my father's rifle when he shot my best friend. A bullet only costs about two cents, and anybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/so-i-heard-the-boom-of-my-father-s-rifle-when-he-shot-my-best-friend/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [I'll be your number one with a bullet. A loaded god complex, cock it and pull it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fall-out-boy/i-ll-be-your-number-one-with-a-bullet-a-loaded-god-complex-cock-it/) [Fall Out Boy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fall-out-boy/) > [My writing partner, Nicki, and I became obsessed with a monologist who performs unscripted shows equipped with nothing more than scribbled bullet points and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-mclaughlin/my-writing-partner-nicki-and-i-became-obsessed-with-a-monologist-who/) [Emma McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-mclaughlin/) [Browse all 493 Bullet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bullet/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Lately, it had been an endless procession of long, black nights and gray mornings, when her sense of failure swept over her like a five-hundred-pound wave; and she was scared. But it wasn't death that she feared. She had looked down into that black pit of death and had wanted to jump in, once too often. As a matter of fact, the thought began to appeal to her more and more. She even knew how she would kill herself. It would be with a silver bullet. As round and as smooth as an ice-cold blue martini. She would place the gun in the freezer for a few hours before she did it, so it would feel frosty and cold against her head. She could almost feel the ice-cold bullet shooting through her hot, troubled brain, freezing the pain for good. The sound of the gun blast would be the last sound she would ever hear. And then... nothing. Maybe just the silent sound that a bird might hear, flying in the clean, cool air, high above the earth. The sweet, pure air of freedom. No, it wasn't death she was afraid of. 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