---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ..he went to the kitchen to get a banana…"
description: "\"“..he went to the kitchen to get a banana; after each mouthful he pulled back a fraction the four or five strips of striped skin, faded petals, which c..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/120/jean-echenoz-56075_banana_he-went-to-the-kitchen-to-get-a-banana-a_3022780.jpg"
---

#  ..he went to the kitchen to get a banana; after each…

![“..he went to the kitchen to get a banana; after each mouthful he pulled back a fraction the four or five strips of striped skin, faded petals, which covered his fist as it clenched the base of the fruit; carefully he detached the friable, cardboard-flavoured filaments that run down its surface…” quote by Jean Echenoz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/120/jean-echenoz-56075_banana_he-went-to-the-kitchen-to-get-a-banana-a_3022780.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/120/jean-echenoz-56075_banana_he-went-to-the-kitchen-to-get-a-banana-a_3022780.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/120/jean-echenoz-56075_banana_he-went-to-the-kitchen-to-get-a-banana-a_3022780.jpg)

> ““..he went to the kitchen to get a banana; after each mouthful he pulled back a fraction the four or five strips of striped skin, faded petals, which covered his fist as it clenched the base of the fruit; carefully he detached the friable, cardboard-flavoured filaments that run down its surface like meridian lines, in a word peeling his banana the way the anthropoid will forever peel his. He threw one of the filaments into the fly cage..””

Jean Echenoz

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Describes a meticulous, almost ritualistic process of peeling a banana, drawing parallels to human behavior.

**In simple terms:** Detailed banana peeling as a metaphor.

Key Takeaway

Observe everyday rituals.

Themes

routine detail metaphor

Mood

observational poetic

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- mindfulness practice
- creative writing
- teaching observation
- psychology of habits

Key Concepts

literary analysis human behavior

Questions to Reflect On

- What does the banana symbolize?
- How does detail affect perception?

A Different Perspective

May be overly obscure.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Behaviour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behaviour/) [Observation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/observation/)

## Related quotes

> [“may be.. we've been peeling the banana from the wrong end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilyhammer/may-be-we-ve-been-peeling-the-banana-from-the-wrong-end/)

Lilyhammer

> [Then I strip the pants away from each leg, like peeling a banana. That's it, the perfect metaphor: peeling a banana.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/then-i-strip-the-pants-away-from-each-leg-like-peeling-a-banana-that/)

[Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/)

> [We are well on our way to becoming a banana republic in every respect except, of course, that we don't grow bananas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-prelutsky/we-are-well-on-our-way-to-becoming-a-banana-republic-in-every-respect/)

[Burt Prelutsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-prelutsky/)

> [He must understand that if he is the world's finest plum and someone he loves does not like plums, he has the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-buscaglia/he-must-understand-that-if-he-is-the-world-s-finest-plum-and-someone/)

[Leo Buscaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-buscaglia/)

> [I hate bananas. I just hate them. But I also think a banana suit is the funniest fruit costume a person can wear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-neilan/i-hate-bananas-i-just-hate-them-but-i-also-think-a-banana-suit-is-the/)

[Paul Neilan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-neilan/)

> [Going to do it to you sweet banana, like it's never been done, and we'll get high, high, high, in the mid-day sun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/going-to-do-it-to-you-sweet-banana-like-it-s-never-been-done-and-we/)

[Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/)

> [Karma is when you throw a banana in Mario Kart and you end up slipping on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/karma-is-when-you-throw-a-banana-in-mario-kart-and-you-end-up/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Songs like 'Radioactive' by Imagine Dragons, it might as well be called 'Pikachu Banana.' It's nothingness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matty-healy/songs-like-radioactive-by-imagine-dragons-it-might-as-well-be-called/)

[Matty Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matty-healy/)

> [I'm a baker. I'm really good at muffins. I'm really good at banana bread. I'm really good at making cookies. I'm really good at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-sims/i-m-a-baker-i-m-really-good-at-muffins-i-m-really-good-at-banana/)

[Molly Sims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-sims/)

> [Starting Monday, 7-11 will begin testing a new plastic wrap designed to keep bananas yellow and firm for five days. Though if your banana…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-meyers/starting-monday-7-11-will-begin-testing-a-new-plastic-wrap-designed/)

[Seth Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-meyers/)

> [“This is perhaps what has made some suspect that the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was really a banana.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-grigson/this-is-perhaps-what-has-made-some-suspect-that-the-tree-of-knowledge/)

[Jane Grigson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-grigson/)

> [Comfortably middle-class, I had shopped for years at the likes of Saks outlet Off Fifth, Banana Republic, and Zara. My mom raised me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-binkley/comfortably-middle-class-i-had-shopped-for-years-at-the-likes-of-saks/)

[Christina Binkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-binkley/)

> [I can't make a cherry pop, but I can make a banana cream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-can-t-make-a-cherry-pop-but-i-can-make-a-banana-cream/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I never looked at being second banana to anybody, I never felt that way, ever. If other people did, that's the way they looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-cage/i-never-looked-at-being-second-banana-to-anybody-i-never-felt-that/)

[Christian Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-cage/)

> [My wish was to finish my career at Arsenal, but there are always banana skins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kolo-toure/my-wish-was-to-finish-my-career-at-arsenal-but-there-are-always/)

[Kolo Toure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kolo-toure/)

## More by Jean Echenoz

> [“It happend that Bob referred in front of Paul to the young woman met in Chantilly; it happened that Paul spoke to Bob of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-echenoz/it-happend-that-bob-referred-in-front-of-paul-to-the-young-woman-met/)

Jean Echenoz

> [“The telephone could ring twice, Vito knew he was not going to pick it up. He would put on his leg before his trousers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-echenoz/the-telephone-could-ring-twice-vito-knew-he-was-not-going-to-pick-it/)

Jean Echenoz

> [“About the other one, which for the moment bears the code name Dedale 39, we know only what Ravel is willing to say about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-echenoz/about-the-other-one-which-for-the-moment-bears-the-code-name-dedale/)

Jean Echenoz

Explore all 4 Jean Echenoz quotes

## More Banana quotes

> [My wish was to finish my career at Arsenal, but there are always banana skins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kolo-toure/my-wish-was-to-finish-my-career-at-arsenal-but-there-are-always/)

[Kolo Toure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kolo-toure/)

> [I never looked at being second banana to anybody, I never felt that way, ever. If other people did, that's the way they looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-cage/i-never-looked-at-being-second-banana-to-anybody-i-never-felt-that/)

[Christian Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-cage/)

> [I can't make a cherry pop, but I can make a banana cream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-can-t-make-a-cherry-pop-but-i-can-make-a-banana-cream/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Comfortably middle-class, I had shopped for years at the likes of Saks outlet Off Fifth, Banana Republic, and Zara. My mom raised me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-binkley/comfortably-middle-class-i-had-shopped-for-years-at-the-likes-of-saks/)

[Christina Binkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-binkley/)

> [“This is perhaps what has made some suspect that the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was really a banana.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-grigson/this-is-perhaps-what-has-made-some-suspect-that-the-tree-of-knowledge/)

[Jane Grigson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-grigson/)

> [Starting Monday, 7-11 will begin testing a new plastic wrap designed to keep bananas yellow and firm for five days. Though if your banana…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-meyers/starting-monday-7-11-will-begin-testing-a-new-plastic-wrap-designed/)

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> [I'm a baker. I'm really good at muffins. I'm really good at banana bread. I'm really good at making cookies. I'm really good at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-sims/i-m-a-baker-i-m-really-good-at-muffins-i-m-really-good-at-banana/)

[Molly Sims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-sims/)

> [Songs like 'Radioactive' by Imagine Dragons, it might as well be called 'Pikachu Banana.' It's nothingness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matty-healy/songs-like-radioactive-by-imagine-dragons-it-might-as-well-be-called/)

[Matty Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matty-healy/)

> [Karma is when you throw a banana in Mario Kart and you end up slipping on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/karma-is-when-you-throw-a-banana-in-mario-kart-and-you-end-up/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Going to do it to you sweet banana, like it's never been done, and we'll get high, high, high, in the mid-day sun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/going-to-do-it-to-you-sweet-banana-like-it-s-never-been-done-and-we/)

[Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/)

> [I hate bananas. I just hate them. But I also think a banana suit is the funniest fruit costume a person can wear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-neilan/i-hate-bananas-i-just-hate-them-but-i-also-think-a-banana-suit-is-the/)

[Paul Neilan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-neilan/)

> [He must understand that if he is the world's finest plum and someone he loves does not like plums, he has the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-buscaglia/he-must-understand-that-if-he-is-the-world-s-finest-plum-and-someone/)

[Leo Buscaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-buscaglia/)

> [We are well on our way to becoming a banana republic in every respect except, of course, that we don't grow bananas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-prelutsky/we-are-well-on-our-way-to-becoming-a-banana-republic-in-every-respect/)

[Burt Prelutsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-prelutsky/)

> [My favorite healthy foods are Jamaican chicken soup, Jamaican chicken stew peas, Jamaican brown stew chicken, plantains and banana chips.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanya-richards-ross/my-favorite-healthy-foods-are-jamaican-chicken-soup-jamaican-chicken/)

[Sanya Richards-Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanya-richards-ross/)

> [I drink a lot of Body Armor - it's a sports drink. It offers great hydration, and it's the best before/after drink for workouts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-luck/i-drink-a-lot-of-body-armor-it-s-a-sports-drink-it-offers-great/)

[Andrew Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-luck/)

Browse all 211 Banana quotes

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