--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s a metaphor,” I explained. “He puts…" description: "\"“It’s a metaphor,” I explained. “He puts the killing thing in his mouth but doesn’t give it the power to kill him.” The stewardess was flummoxed for on..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/john-green-12_fault-in-our-stars_it-s-a-metaphor-i-explained-he-puts-the_79038.jpg" --- # It’s a metaphor,” I explained. “He puts the killing thing… ![“It’s a metaphor,” I explained. “He puts the killing thing in his mouth but doesn’t give it the power to kill him.” The stewardess was flummoxed for only a moment. “Well, that metaphor is prohibited on today’s flight,” she said.” Excerpt From: John, Green. “The Fault in Our Stars.” ePub Bud (…” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/john-green-12_fault-in-our-stars_it-s-a-metaphor-i-explained-he-puts-the_79038.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/john-green-12_fault-in-our-stars_it-s-a-metaphor-i-explained-he-puts-the_79038.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/john-green-12_fault-in-our-stars_it-s-a-metaphor-i-explained-he-puts-the_79038.jpg) > ““It’s a metaphor,” I explained. “He puts the killing thing in his mouth but doesn’t give it the power to kill him.” The stewardess was flummoxed for only a moment. “Well, that metaphor is prohibited on today’s flight,” she said.” Excerpt From: John, Green. “The Fault in Our Stars.” ePub Bud ( www.epubbud.com ), 0000-00-00. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.”” [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker uses a metaphor about consuming something dangerous without letting it dominate, highlighting the tension between confronting mortality and maintaining agency. **In simple terms:** Metaphor about confronting danger while retaining control. Key Takeaway Danger can be faced without being overwhelmed. Themes mortality agency metaphor control communication Mood thoughtful ironic Type literary dialogue When to use this quote - discussing illness - explaining a concept - narrative dialogue Key Concepts death power dynamics language Practical Applications - literary analysis - therapeutic conversation Questions to Reflect On - How does metaphor shape our perception of risk? - What limits does the stewardess impose on language? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fault in our stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fault-in-our-stars/) [Flight Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flight-said-1013885/) [Kill Stewardess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kill-stewardess-1013883/) [Metaphor Prohibited](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metaphor-prohibited-1013884/) [Stewardess Flummoxed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stewardess-flummoxed-1013886/) [Thing Mouth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-mouth-882286/) ## Related quotes > [“About nine seconds later, a blond stewardess rushed over to our row and said, “Sir, you can’t smoke on this plane. Or any plane.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/about-nine-seconds-later-a-blond-stewardess-rushed-over-to-our-row/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“The stewardess was flummoxed for only a moment. “Well, that metaphor is prohibited on today’s flight,” she said. Gus nodded and rejoined the cigarette…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/the-stewardess-was-flummoxed-for-only-a-moment-well-that-metaphor-is/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [He puts the killing thing in his mouth but doesn't give it the power to kill him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-puts-the-killing-thing-in-his-mouth-but-doesn-t-give-it-the-power/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“His excitement was adorable. I couldn't resist. 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There will come a time when there are no human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/there-will-come-a-time-when-all-of-us-are-dead-all-of-us-there-will/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Oh I wouldn't mind, Hazel Grace, it would be a privilege to have my heart broken by you." -Augustus(The Fault in our Stars)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/oh-i-wouldn-t-mind-hazel-grace-it-would-be-a-privilege-to-have-my-2/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I fear oblivion”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-fear-oblivion/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I want more numbers than I’m likely to get, and God, I want more numbers for Augustus Waters than he got. But, Gus, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-want-more-numbers-than-i-m-likely-to-get-and-god-i-want-more/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“The sun was a toddle insistently refusing to go to bed; it was past 8:30 and still light.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/the-sun-was-a-toddle-insistently-refusing-to-go-to-bed-it-was-past-8/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I am on a roller coaster that only goes up, my friend. - Augustus Waters, The Fault in our Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-am-on-a-roller-coaster-that-only-goes-up-my-friend-augustus-waters/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Life is not a wish granting factory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/life-is-not-a-wish-granting-factory/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Is he drunk?' the attendant asked as they boarded the early morning flight. 'Not yet,' said Grey.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-wunder/is-he-drunk-the-attendant-asked-as-they-boarded-the-early-morning/) [Wendy Wunder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wunder/) > [There are infinite numbers between 0 and 1.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/there-are-infinite-numbers-between-0-and-1/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Pero diré esto: Cuando los científicos del futuro aparezcan en mi casa con ojos robot y me digan que los pruebe, yo les diré…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/pero-dir-esto-cuando-los-cient-ficos-del-futuro-aparezcan-en-mi-casa/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More by John Green > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I just want to stay away from people and read books and think”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-just-want-to-stay-away-from-people-and-read-books-and-think/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [She smiled with all the delight of a kid on Christmas morning and said, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-smiled-with-all-the-delight-of-a-kid-on-christmas-morning-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [A Margo for each of us--and each more mirror than window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-margo-for-each-of-us-and-each-more-mirror-than-window/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“No one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/no-one-ever-says-good-bye-unless-they-want-to-see-you-again/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-i-was-ugly-i-was-never-fat-really-and-i-never-wore-headgear-or-had/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Nothing has ever looked like that ever in all of human history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/nothing-has-ever-looked-like-that-ever-in-all-of-human-history/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“said to him quietly, as if I couldn’t hear or something. Dad was about to respond but I interrupted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/said-to-him-quietly-as-if-i-couldn-t-hear-or-something-dad-was-about/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I believe humans have souls, and I believe in the conservation of souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-believe-humans-have-souls-and-i-believe-in-the-conservation-of-souls/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“He was hot. A nonhotboy stares at you relentlessly and it is, at best, awkward and, at worst, a form of assault. But a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-was-hot-a-nonhotboy-stares-at-you-relentlessly-and-it-is-at-best/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I think if you keep the box closed long enough you do kill the cat, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-if-you-keep-the-box-closed-long-enough-you-do-kill-the-cat/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia. (...) You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/imagining-the-future-is-a-kind-of-nostalgia-you-spend-your-whole-life/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) [Explore all 3,614 John Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More Fault in our stars quotes > [“His excitement was adorable. I couldn't resist. I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. -Hazel Grace Lancaster, The Fault In Our Stars”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/his-excitement-was-adorable-i-couldn-t-resist-i-leaned-over-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [There are infinite numbers between 0 and 1.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/there-are-infinite-numbers-between-0-and-1/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > ['Looking For Alaska' by John Green is a very great book. I feel like every teenage girl says John Green's 'Fault In Our Stars,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alessia-cara/looking-for-alaska-by-john-green-is-a-very-great-book-i-feel-like/) [Alessia Cara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alessia-cara/) > [I saw 'The Grand Budapest Hotel.' I liked it. I saw 'The Fault in Our Stars,' and I could see why young girls like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-reiner/i-saw-the-grand-budapest-hotel-i-liked-it-i-saw-the-fault-in-our/) [Rob Reiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-reiner/) > [“Life is not a wish granting factory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/life-is-not-a-wish-granting-factory/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I am on a roller coaster that only goes up, my friend. - Augustus Waters, The Fault in our Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-am-on-a-roller-coaster-that-only-goes-up-my-friend-augustus-waters/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“The sun was a toddle insistently refusing to go to bed; it was past 8:30 and still light.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/the-sun-was-a-toddle-insistently-refusing-to-go-to-bed-it-was-past-8/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I want more numbers than I’m likely to get, and God, I want more numbers for Augustus Waters than he got. But, Gus, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-want-more-numbers-than-i-m-likely-to-get-and-god-i-want-more/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I fear oblivion”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-fear-oblivion/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I like 'The Fault in Our Stars.' I thought those two guys did a really, really good job. The movie obviously did really, really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-blackley/i-like-the-fault-in-our-stars-i-thought-those-two-guys-did-a-really/) [Jamie Blackley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-blackley/) > [If you want rainbow, you have to deal with the rain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus/if-you-want-rainbow-you-have-to-deal-with-the-rain/) [Augustus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus/) > [“Oh I wouldn't mind, Hazel Grace, it would be a privilege to have my heart broken by you." -Augustus(The Fault in our Stars)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/oh-i-wouldn-t-mind-hazel-grace-it-would-be-a-privilege-to-have-my-2/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Let's put it this way- if The Fault in Our Stars was a person I would marry them. 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