--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What does he say?' he asked. 'He’s very…" description: "\"What does he say?' he asked. 'He’s very sad,’ Úrsula answered, ‘because he thinks that you’re going to die.' 'Tell him,' the colonel said, smiling, 'th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe5/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_colonels_what-does-he-say-he-asked-he-s-very-sad_3084947.jpg" --- # What does he say?' he asked. 'He’s very sad,’ Úrsula… ![“What does he say?' he asked. 'He’s very sad,’ Úrsula answered, ‘because he thinks that you’re going to die.' 'Tell him,' the colonel said, smiling, 'that a person doesn’t die when he should but when he can.” quote by Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe5/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_colonels_what-does-he-say-he-asked-he-s-very-sad_3084947.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe5/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_colonels_what-does-he-say-he-asked-he-s-very-sad_3084947.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe5/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_colonels_what-does-he-say-he-asked-he-s-very-sad_3084947.jpg) > “What does he say?' he asked. 'He’s very sad,’ Úrsula answered, ‘because he thinks that you’re going to die.' 'Tell him,' the colonel said, smiling, 'that a person doesn’t die when he should but when he can.” [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A colonel tells a child that death occurs when it is possible, not when it is predetermined, suggesting agency over fate. **In simple terms:** Death happens when it can, not when it must. Key Takeaway Consider personal agency in life’s inevitable events. Themes mortality agency philosophy Mood somber thoughtful Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - grief counseling - ethical debates - life coaching - literary analysis Key Concepts determinism free will Questions to Reflect On - Do we truly control when we die? - How does this view affect coping with loss? A Different Perspective The notion of choosing death may conflict with cultural or religious beliefs about destiny. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Tell him,' the colonel said, smiling, 'that a person doesn’t die when he should but when he can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/tell-him-the-colonel-said-smiling-that-a-person-doesn-t-die-when-he/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [Hey Pudge," the Colonel said. "What do you think of a truce?" "It reminds me of when the Germans demanded that the U.S. surrender…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/hey-pudge-the-colonel-said-what-do-you-think-of-a-truce-it-reminds-me/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Not what you expected, huh?” she asked in a sad voice. I wrapped a towel around her and drew her close to me. “I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/not-what-you-expected-huh-she-asked-in-a-sad-voice-i-wrapped-a-towel/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [Sad isn't it? How no matter what you do or say to me... when you come running back... when you need me again... I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazz/sad-isn-t-it-how-no-matter-what-you-do-or-say-to-me-when-you-come/) [Jazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazz/) > [“Mother (fragment) ...You asked me if I would be sad when it happened and I am sad. 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Takumi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/and-then-she-said-let-s-play-truth-or-dare-and-then-you-fucked-her/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Many years later, in front of the firing squad, colonel Aureliano Buendía would remember that distant afternoon his father took him to see ice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/many-years-later-in-front-of-the-firing-squad-colonel-aureliano-buend/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“Christ," the Colonel said quite loudly. "That wretched beast, drama, draws nigh.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/christ-the-colonel-said-quite-loudly-that-wretched-beast-drama-draws/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“The whole place is soaking wet. My copy of The General in His Labyrinth is absolutely ruined." 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'I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/martha-raye-slipped-up-to-the-colonel-and-she-said-sir-where-do-we/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [He sank into the rocking chair, the same one in which Rebecca had sat during the early days of the house to give embroidery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/he-sank-into-the-rocking-chair-the-same-one-in-which-rebecca-had-sat/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) ## More by Gabriel Garcia Marquez > [“The Captain looked at Fermina Daza and saw on her eyelashes the first glimmer of wintry frost. 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The adolescents of my generation, greedy for life, forgot in body and soul about their hopes for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/today-i-know-i-was-right-the-adolescents-of-my-generation-greedy-for/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“...It was then, for the first time, that she understood above all her virtues what was in command was the vanity of a metaphysical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/it-was-then-for-the-first-time-that-she-understood-above-all-her/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) [Explore all 872 Gabriel Garcia Marquez quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) ## More Colonels quotes > [Does it say 'Colonel' anywhere on my uniform?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-o-neill/does-it-say-colonel-anywhere-on-my-uniform/) [Jack O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-o-neill/) > [He sank into the rocking chair, the same one in which Rebecca had sat during the early days of the house to give embroidery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/he-sank-into-the-rocking-chair-the-same-one-in-which-rebecca-had-sat/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [Great God of the Ants, thou hast granted victory to thy servants. I appoint thee honorary Colonel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-capek/great-god-of-the-ants-thou-hast-granted-victory-to-thy-servants-i/) [Karel Capek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-capek/) > [ Here at great expense,' \[Colonel Groves\] moaned to Oppenheimer, 'the government has assembled the world's largest collection of crackpots. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-sheinkin/here-at-great-expense-colonel-groves-moaned-to-oppenheimer-the/) [Steve Sheinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-sheinkin/) > [Miss Butterworth and the Mad Baron,” Sebastian said approvingly. “Excellent choice.” “You have read this?” Alexei asked. “It’s not as good as Miss Davenport…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/miss-butterworth-and-the-mad-baron-sebastian-said-approvingly/) [Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/) > [I watched a snail crawl along the edge of a straight razor. That's my dream. That's my nightmare. Crawling, slithering, along the edge of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-brando/i-watched-a-snail-crawl-along-the-edge-of-a-straight-razor-that-s-my/) [Marlon Brando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-brando/) > [We live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/we-live-in-a-world-that-has-walls-and-those-walls-have-to-be-guarded/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [ That was my big break \[Lonesome Dove\]. My first real kind of adult role on something really well-written. It was a spin-off of the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-mccormack/that-was-my-big-break-lonesome-dove-my-first-real-kind-of-adult-role/) [Eric McCormack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-mccormack/) > [Colonel Walker, did it ever occur to you that General Jackson is crazy?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-s-ewell/colonel-walker-did-it-ever-occur-to-you-that-general-jackson-is-crazy/) Richard S. Ewell > [In Pakistan anti-American protesters set a Kentucky Fried chicken restaurant on fire. The protesters mistakenly thought they were attacking high-ranking U.S. military official Colonel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/in-pakistan-anti-american-protesters-set-a-kentucky-fried-chicken/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [A common and natural result of an undue respect for law is, that you may see a file of soldiers, colonel, captain, corporal, privates,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-common-and-natural-result-of-an-undue-respect-for-law-is-that-you/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Oh, God, Alaska, I love you. I love you,' and the Colonel whispered, 'I'm so sorry, Pudge. I know you did,' and I said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/oh-god-alaska-i-love-you-i-love-you-and-the-colonel-whispered-i-m-so-2/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [ I think of \[street food\] as the antidote to fast food; it's the clear alternative to the king, the clown and the colonel. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/i-think-of-street-food-as-the-antidote-to-fast-food-it-s-the-clear/) [Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/) > [I never stopped thinking about the Alamo from that day to this. I'm a huge collector of memorabilia. I've got Davy Crockett's bullet pouch.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-collins/i-never-stopped-thinking-about-the-alamo-from-that-day-to-this-i-m-a/) [Phil Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-collins/) > [Seek midday nourishment. Visit memorial acclaimed war hero Colonel Sanders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/seek-midday-nourishment-visit-memorial-acclaimed-war-hero-colonel/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) Browse all 121 Colonels quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What does he say?' he asked. 'He’s very sad,’ Úrsula answered, ‘because he thinks that you’re going to die.' 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