--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It came to him that he had turned away…" description: "\"“It came to him that he had turned away from the buffalo not because of a womanish nausea at blood and stench and spilling gut; it came to him that he ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d7/john-williams-3311_animals_it-came-to-him-that-he-had-turned-away-f_1054998.jpg" --- # It came to him that he had turned away from the buffalo… ![“It came to him that he had turned away from the buffalo not because of a womanish nausea at blood and stench and spilling gut; it came to him that he had sickened and turned away because of his shock at seeing the buffalo, a few moments before proud and noble and full of the dignity of life, now…” quote by John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d7/john-williams-3311_animals_it-came-to-him-that-he-had-turned-away-f_1054998.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d7/john-williams-3311_animals_it-came-to-him-that-he-had-turned-away-f_1054998.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d7/john-williams-3311_animals_it-came-to-him-that-he-had-turned-away-f_1054998.jpg) > ““It came to him that he had turned away from the buffalo not because of a womanish nausea at blood and stench and spilling gut; it came to him that he had sickened and turned away because of his shock at seeing the buffalo, a few moments before proud and noble and full of the dignity of life, now stark and helpless, a length of inert meat, divested of itself, or his notion of its self, swinging grotesquely, mockingly, before him. It was not itself; or it was not that self that he had imagined it to be. That self was murdered; and in that murder he had felt the destruction of something within him, and he had not been able to face it. So he had turned away.”” [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He describes a visceral reaction to witnessing a buffalo's death, confronting his own internal shock and inability to face the loss of dignity. **In simple terms:** Seeing death shocked him and he turned away. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and process uncomfortable truths. Themes psychology death existentialism Mood reflective somber Type philosophical emotional When to use this quote - wildlife observation - personal crisis - creative writing - ethical debate Key Concepts mortality human reaction ethical reflection Questions to Reflect On - What does the buffalo symbolize for you? - How do you confront shocking experiences? A Different Perspective Avoiding painful realities can hinder personal growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Buffalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buffalo/) [Buffalo Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buffalo-moments-2545705/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Hunting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hunting/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Murder Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/murder-felt-2545707/) [Self Murdered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-murdered-2545706/) [Sickened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sickened/) [Sickened Turned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sickened-turned-2545704/) [Westerns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/westerns/) ## Related quotes > [“The corporate government is completely okay with sending sickened people into extreme poverty for the rest of their lives by blatantly denying their genuine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-corporate-government-is-completely-okay-with-sending-sickened/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“It is possible that a man who was mentally and physically sickened by professional astronomers may end up being one of the world’s greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/it-is-possible-that-a-man-who-was-mentally-and-physically-sickened-by/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [When I was nearly twelve years old, my kind mistress sickened and died.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-ann-jacobs/when-i-was-nearly-twelve-years-old-my-kind-mistress-sickened-and-died/) [Harriet Ann Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-ann-jacobs/) > [Among other things, you'll find that you're not the first one who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger-2/among-other-things-you-ll-find-that-you-re-not-the-first-one-who-was/) [J. 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