--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ronelle knew Dallas would not stay to…" description: "\"“Ronelle knew Dallas would not stay to eat. She often reminded Ronelle never to eat anything at potluck dinners or bake sales. One person hating the to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68f/jodi-thomas-20642_bake-sale_ronelle-knew-dallas-would-not-stay-to-ea_2116134.jpg" --- # Ronelle knew Dallas would not stay to eat. She often… ![“Ronelle knew Dallas would not stay to eat. She often reminded Ronelle never to eat anything at potluck dinners or bake sales. One person hating the town could wipe out the entire population with poison. Looking around, she saw everyone eating and had a horrible thought. If they all died, that…” quote by Jodi Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68f/jodi-thomas-20642_bake-sale_ronelle-knew-dallas-would-not-stay-to-ea_2116134.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68f/jodi-thomas-20642_bake-sale_ronelle-knew-dallas-would-not-stay-to-ea_2116134.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68f/jodi-thomas-20642_bake-sale_ronelle-knew-dallas-would-not-stay-to-ea_2116134.jpg) > ““Ronelle knew Dallas would not stay to eat. She often reminded Ronelle never to eat anything at potluck dinners or bake sales. One person hating the town could wipe out the entire population with poison. Looking around, she saw everyone eating and had a horrible thought. If they all died, that would leave only her mother and her in town. While her mother stopped to talk to Willie Davis, Ronelle slipped a piece of corn bread into her pocket. It would be all in crumbs by the time she got home, but she planned to eat it. Just in case.”” [Jodi Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-thomas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ronelle contemplates a deadly plan, highlighting fear‑driven desperation and moral conflict. **In simple terms:** She thinks about harming townspeople. Key Takeaway Consider ethical limits of self‑preservation. Themes fear morality survival Mood tense dark Type narrative psychological When to use this quote - small town life - food gatherings - family loyalty Key Concepts ethical dilemmas psychology Questions to Reflect On - What drives a person to consider such extremes? - How does fear distort judgment? A Different Perspective The plan is impractical and morally corrupt. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bake sale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bake-sale/) [Looking Around](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looking-around/) ## Related quotes > [I'd stay there, or not, and I'd eat, or not, and I'd drink, or not, and go home, or not, and what I did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/i-d-stay-there-or-not-and-i-d-eat-or-not-and-i-d-drink-or-not-and-go/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [I take really good care of myself, and I make sure that my body's in tip-top condition, and I stay on top of everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-welker/i-take-really-good-care-of-myself-and-i-make-sure-that-my-body-s-in/) [Wes Welker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-welker/) > [I'm not the bake-sale-mom type - though once in a while, I'll make challah French toast for my sons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-wearstler/i-m-not-the-bake-sale-mom-type-though-once-in-a-while-i-ll-make/) [Kelly Wearstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-wearstler/) > [“(It should be noted that the Honorable Guild of Evil Warlords has worked very hard to counter the negative stereotype of its members. 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Starbucks cards she’d never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-newport/weeks-it-was-the-same-stuff-every-year-santa-mugs-filled-with-candy/) [Olivia Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-newport/) > [I'm a fan of the hand-me-down recipes - friends, family, bake sales, community cookbooks - those are the recipes that have withstood the test…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-tosi/i-m-a-fan-of-the-hand-me-down-recipes-friends-family-bake-sales/) [Christina Tosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-tosi/) > [“Church is important to most folks in the South. So the most important thing going is basically ruled by men as decreed by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trae-crowder/church-is-important-to-most-folks-in-the-south-so-the-most-important/) [Trae Crowder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trae-crowder/) > [“I had done something wrong. I shouldn't have shown him. But he had known, hadn't he? What had I done? I retreated quickly down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/i-had-done-something-wrong-i-shouldn-t-have-shown-him-but-he-had/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [In the real world, I see conservatives volunteering at adoption agencies, at churches, at bake sales and the local American Legion Post while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-west/in-the-real-world-i-see-conservatives-volunteering-at-adoption/) [Allen West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-west/) > [Answering a letter from a church asking what else they should try after having failed to raise enough money on bake sales, bazaars, suppers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-greeley/answering-a-letter-from-a-church-asking-what-else-they-should-try/) [Horace Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-greeley/) > [Do you have someone watching her house?” (Stephanie) “That kind of surveillance only happens in the movies. 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Somewhere in between, he'd have to talk to her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-thomas/he-couldn-t-just-take-her-home-bed-her-and-wait-for-children-to-pop/) [Jodi Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-thomas/) > [“Bailee had watched them come in and out of the sheriff’s office the week she’d been in jail. She, Sarah, and Lacy had sworn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-thomas/bailee-had-watched-them-come-in-and-out-of-the-sheriff-s-office-the/) [Jodi Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-thomas/) > [“Carter placed her fingers over his hand and signed a single sign. “I love you too,” she answered. “How did you know what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-thomas/carter-placed-her-fingers-over-his-hand-and-signed-a-single-sign-i/) [Jodi Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-thomas/) > [“No.” Allie stood her ground. “I’ll not go in.“ “Me, neither.” Jason slid from his horse. “If Allie ain’t going in, I’m not going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-thomas/no-allie-stood-her-ground-i-ll-not-go-in-me-neither-jason-slid-from/) [Jodi Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-thomas/) > [“Times like this are like muddy water, Rea, you just got to keep moving through it until you get to the other side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-thomas/times-like-this-are-like-muddy-water-rea-you-just-got-to-keep-moving/) [Jodi Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-thomas/) > [“Carter stretched his arm out and relaxed into the softness of his own bed a moment before a scream three inches from his ear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-thomas/carter-stretched-his-arm-out-and-relaxed-into-the-softness-of-his-own/) [Jodi Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-thomas/) > [“Triumph comes through perserverance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-thomas/triumph-comes-through-perserverance/) [Jodi Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-thomas/) > [“Again, please,” she whispered. (Allie to Wes)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-thomas/again-please-she-whispered-allie-to-wes/) [Jodi Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-thomas/) > [“How do you know what a rock star feels like, Ada May? Have you ever been a rock star? I don't think so,' Beth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-thomas/how-do-you-know-what-a-rock-star-feels-like-ada-may-have-you-ever/) [Jodi Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-thomas/) > [When trees burn, they leave the smell of heartbreak in the air.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-thomas/when-trees-burn-they-leave-the-smell-of-heartbreak-in-the-air/) [Jodi Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-thomas/) > [Be my wife, all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-thomas/be-my-wife-all-my-life/) [Jodi Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-thomas/) > [“Did you tell her it was just until all was safe, or did you promise her forever?” Victoria shook her head. “Sounds to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-thomas/did-you-tell-her-it-was-just-until-all-was-safe-or-did-you-promise/) [Jodi Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-thomas/) > [“The dreamer whispered, Just once let something happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-thomas/the-dreamer-whispered-just-once-let-something-happen/) [Jodi Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-thomas/) > [“What’s the matter, Rea?” he said, still sounding half asleep. “What makes you think . . .?” “You wouldn’t have called this late unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-thomas/what-s-the-matter-rea-he-said-still-sounding-half-asleep-what-makes/) [Jodi Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-thomas/) [Explore all 30 Jodi Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-thomas/) ## More Bake sale quotes > [I'm not the bake-sale-mom type - though once in a while, I'll make challah French toast for my sons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-wearstler/i-m-not-the-bake-sale-mom-type-though-once-in-a-while-i-ll-make/) [Kelly Wearstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-wearstler/) > [Do you have someone watching her house?” (Stephanie) “That kind of surveillance only happens in the movies. 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She often reminded Ronelle never to eat anything at potluck dinners or bake sales. One person hating the town could wipe out the entire population with poison. Looking around, she saw everyone eating and had a horrible thought. If they all died, that would leave only her mother and her in town. While her mother stopped to talk to Willie Davis, Ronelle slipped a piece of corn bread into her pocket. It would be all in crumbs by the time she got home, but she planned to eat it. 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