---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But that was in the days when they…"
description: "\"But that was in the days when they expected perils to come from without, and nothing made less sense by that time than a survival room buried in a hous..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd8/jeffrey-eugenides-462_becoming_but-that-was-in-the-days-when-they-expec_1367129.png"
---

#  But that was in the days when they expected perils to come…

![“But that was in the days when they expected perils to come from without, and nothing made less sense by that time than a survival room buried in a house itself becoming one big coffin.” quote by Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd8/jeffrey-eugenides-462_becoming_but-that-was-in-the-days-when-they-expec_1367129.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd8/jeffrey-eugenides-462_becoming_but-that-was-in-the-days-when-they-expec_1367129.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd8/jeffrey-eugenides-462_becoming_but-that-was-in-the-days-when-they-expec_1367129.png)

> “But that was in the days when they expected perils to come from without, and nothing made less sense by that time than a survival room buried in a house itself becoming one big coffin.”

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

## About This Quote

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

Survival can feel like a coffin when external threats turn internal spaces oppressive.

**In simple terms:** Survival can become suffocating.

Key Takeaway

Recognize when safety becomes confinement.

Themes

survival isolation psychology

Mood

anxious thoughtful

Type

cautionary reflective

When to use this quote

- war zones
- pandemic lockdowns
- traumatic homes

Key Concepts

existential dread environmental stress mental health

Questions to Reflect On

- When have you felt safe spaces become limiting?
- How to maintain freedom within protective environments?

A Different Perspective

Safety can become a trap if not examined.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Becoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becoming/) [Big Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-coffin-4697931/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Buried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buried/) [Buried House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buried-house-4697932/) [Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coffin/) [Coffins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coffins/) [Expected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expected/) [House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Peril](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peril/) [Room Buried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/room-buried-636420/) [Rooms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rooms/) [Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival/) [Survival Room](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival-room-4697933/)

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