--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because the meaning of a story does not…" description: "\"Because the meaning of a story does not lie on its surface, visible and self-defining, does not mean that meaning does not exist. Indeed, the ambiguit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/883/joyce-carol-oates-344_ambiguity_because-the-meaning-of-a-story-does-not_543200.png" --- # Because the meaning of a story does not lie on its… ![“Because the meaning of a story does not lie on its surface, visible and self-defining, does not mean that meaning does not exist. Indeed, the ambiguity of meaning, its inner private quality, may well be part of the writer's vision.” quote by Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/883/joyce-carol-oates-344_ambiguity_because-the-meaning-of-a-story-does-not_543200.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/883/joyce-carol-oates-344_ambiguity_because-the-meaning-of-a-story-does-not_543200.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/883/joyce-carol-oates-344_ambiguity_because-the-meaning-of-a-story-does-not_543200.png) > “Because the meaning of a story does not lie on its surface, visible and self-defining, does not mean that meaning does not exist. Indeed, the ambiguity of meaning, its inner private quality, may well be part of the writer's vision.” [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A story's deeper meaning lies beyond its surface, often hidden and personal, forming part of the writer's vision. **In simple terms:** Deeper meaning is hidden, personal. Key Takeaway Seek underlying layers in narratives. Themes literature interpretation subjectivity Mood analytical introspective Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - book analysis - creative writing - critical discussion Key Concepts symbolism authorial intent Questions to Reflect On - How do you uncover hidden meanings? - What role does personal experience play in interpretation? A Different Perspective Readers may miss subtle cues without guidance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambiguity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambiguity/) [Ambiguity Meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambiguity-meaning-4536658/) [Defining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defining/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Exist Ambiguity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exist-ambiguity-4536657/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Meaning Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaning-story-512473/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-does-1662410/) [Surface](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surface/) [Visible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visible/) [Vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vision/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [“talking about the “meaning” of a story, we need to be careful not to diminish it, impoverish it. A story can say different things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/talking-about-the-meaning-of-a-story-we-need-to-be-careful-not-to/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [I don't want to tell what the songs are about for me, because then people can't decide for themselves, which is why I write;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-fallon/i-don-t-want-to-tell-what-the-songs-are-about-for-me-because-then/) [Brian Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-fallon/) > [“Does it ever occur to such reviewers that the meaning of the story might lie in the language itself, in the movement of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/does-it-ever-occur-to-such-reviewers-that-the-meaning-of-the-story/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [The writer's job, after all, is not to dictate meaning, but to give the reader enough pieces to create his or her own satisfying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/the-writer-s-job-after-all-is-not-to-dictate-meaning-but-to-give-the/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [“I need to use everything—sound, image, performance—to get at the full meaning of the story”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/i-need-to-use-everything-sound-image-performance-to-get-at-the-full/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [The history of Israel and Judaism is the unfolding of the meaning of this story. It's retelling is never finished and will not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-radcliffe/the-history-of-israel-and-judaism-is-the-unfolding-of-the-meaning-of/) [Timothy Radcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-radcliffe/) > [Don't worry about meaning. If a story's any good, it can't help but have meaning. Let the PhDs tell you what your story means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kittredge/don-t-worry-about-meaning-if-a-story-s-any-good-it-can-t-help-but/) [William Kittredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kittredge/) > [The meaning of the story is the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/the-meaning-of-the-story-is-the-story/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [“All narrative begins for me as listening. When I read, I listen. When I write, I listen—for silence, inflection, rhythm, rest. Then comes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/all-narrative-begins-for-me-as-listening-when-i-read-i-listen-when-i-2/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“I don’t think meaning exists without form, and certainly form does not exist without meaning. Meaning and story come first. Story is the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-everett/i-don-t-think-meaning-exists-without-form-and-certainly-form-does-not/) [Percival Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-everett/) > [“A nurse later told me that I was her ‘”One.” Meaning, I was her one story of hope to tell others who are facing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-j-murphy/a-nurse-later-told-me-that-i-was-her-one-meaning-i-was-her-one-story/) [Matthew J. Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-j-murphy/) > [It is gorgeously shot, and Andrew believes that the old school way of making films in the best way. Meaning: you have a story,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-berryman/it-is-gorgeously-shot-and-andrew-believes-that-the-old-school-way-of/) [Michael Berryman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-berryman/) > [“The meaning of a story should go on expanding for the reader the more he thinks about it, but meaning cannot be captured in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/the-meaning-of-a-story-should-go-on-expanding-for-the-reader-the-more/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [“Of all the people around me, you know best that it takes two to complete a story; it always does”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/refaat-alareer/of-all-the-people-around-me-you-know-best-that-it-takes-two-to/) [Refaat Alareer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/refaat-alareer/) > [In my career as a director, there's always been some point where you get halfway through it, or three-quarters, and you go: 'What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/in-my-career-as-a-director-there-s-always-been-some-point-where-you/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) ## More by Joyce Carol Oates > [“A woman who has lost her husband is invalid, thus an invalid. In”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-woman-who-has-lost-her-husband-is-invalid-thus-an-invalid-in/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Running! If there's any activity happier, more exhilarating, more nourishing to the imagination, I can't think of what it might be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/running-if-there-s-any-activity-happier-more-exhilarating-more/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [You need so much energy and encouragement to write that if someone says something negative, some of that energy goes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/you-need-so-much-energy-and-encouragement-to-write-that-if-someone/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I learned long ago that being Lewis Carroll was infinitely more exciting than being Alice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-learned-long-ago-that-being-lewis-carroll-was-infinitely-more/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Paradox: how do we know what we have failed to see because we have no language to express it, thus we cannot know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/paradox-how-do-we-know-what-we-have-failed-to-see-because-we-have-no/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [At all crucial moments in our lives we want to speak without knowing what to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/at-all-crucial-moments-in-our-lives-we-want-to-speak-without-knowing/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [A writer’s life is in his work, and that is the place to find him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-writer-s-life-is-in-his-work-and-that-is-the-place-to-find-him/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [The challenge is to resist circumstances. Any idiot can be happy in a happy place, but moral courage is required to be happy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-challenge-is-to-resist-circumstances-any-idiot-can-be-happy-in-a/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [The first sentence cant be written until the final sentence is written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-first-sentence-cant-be-written-until-the-final-sentence-is-written/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [“Did you know, Marianne: how by breaking the code that day, you broke it forever? For us all?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/did-you-know-marianne-how-by-breaking-the-code-that-day-you-broke-it/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > ['The Accursed' is very much a novel about social injustice as the consequence of the terrible, tragic division of classes - the exploitation not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-accursed-is-very-much-a-novel-about-social-injustice-as-the/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Keep a light, hopeful heart. But expect the worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/keep-a-light-hopeful-heart-but-expect-the-worst/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [And this is the forbidden truth, the unspeakable taboo - that evil is not always repellent but frequently attractive; that it has the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/and-this-is-the-forbidden-truth-the-unspeakable-taboo-that-evil-is/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I don't think that writer's block exists really. I think that when you're trying to do something prematurely, it just won't come. Certain subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-don-t-think-that-writer-s-block-exists-really-i-think-that-when-you/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [... such speculation is like staring into the hot white sun. you know the sun is there but you can't see a thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/such-speculation-is-like-staring-into-the-hot-white-sun-you-know-the/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) [Explore all 658 Joyce Carol Oates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) ## More Ambiguity quotes > [The position is clear - there is no ambiguity in Sinn Fein's position. We, along with all the other parties, have signed up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mcguinness/the-position-is-clear-there-is-no-ambiguity-in-sinn-fein-s-position/) [Martin McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mcguinness/) > [Ambiguity is necessary in some of my stories, not in all. In those, it certainly contributes to the richness of the story. I doubt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/ambiguity-is-necessary-in-some-of-my-stories-not-in-all-in-those-it/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [During the Cold War, we lived in coded times when it wasn't easy and there were shades of grey and ambiguity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/during-the-cold-war-we-lived-in-coded-times-when-it-wasn-t-easy-and/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [You cannot grow in the integrative dance of action and contemplation without a strong tolerance for ambiguity, an ability to allow, forgive, and contain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/you-cannot-grow-in-the-integrative-dance-of-action-and-contemplation/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [I blame my grandfather 100 percent for his oldest son's death. I don't think there's any ambiguity there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-l-trump/i-blame-my-grandfather-100-percent-for-his-oldest-son-s-death-i-don-t/) [Mary L. Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-l-trump/) > [I think the relationship between social-dominance orientation in people and the extent to which they're made uncomfortable by ambiguity and novelty is really important.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/i-think-the-relationship-between-social-dominance-orientation-in/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [Yet again, an ancient answer echoes across the centuries: Listen! Listen to stories! For what stories do, above all else, is hold up a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-kurtz/yet-again-an-ancient-answer-echoes-across-the-centuries-listen-listen/) [Ernest Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-kurtz/) > [My path to wisdom began when I stopped pretending to know things I didn't know. When I explicitly admitted to the limits of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-max/my-path-to-wisdom-began-when-i-stopped-pretending-to-know-things-i/) [Tucker Max](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-max/) > [If there is a single tragic flaw that mars our biggest enterprises, it is conservatism - the failure to fail, and fail big, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/if-there-is-a-single-tragic-flaw-that-mars-our-biggest-enterprises-it/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [In order to be as free as I possibly can, in my own imagination, I can't take positions that are closed. Everything I've ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/in-order-to-be-as-free-as-i-possibly-can-in-my-own-imagination-i-can/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [I've always been drawn to ambiguity in pop music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-ve-always-been-drawn-to-ambiguity-in-pop-music/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [I believe that we can still have a genre of scientific books suitable for and accessible alike to professionals and interested laypeople. The concepts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-believe-that-we-can-still-have-a-genre-of-scientific-books-suitable/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [I am in the utmost perplexity, yand have wished a hundred times, that if there is a A God, nature would manifest him without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/i-am-in-the-utmost-perplexity-yand-have-wished-a-hundred-times-that/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [There's a lot of ambiguity in life, and so often, our art is very neatly wrapped up at the end, when our lives never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-coon/there-s-a-lot-of-ambiguity-in-life-and-so-often-our-art-is-very/) [Carrie Coon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-coon/) > [“Man must not attempt to dispel the ambiguity of his being but, on the contrary, accept the task of realizing it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/man-must-not-attempt-to-dispel-the-ambiguity-of-his-being-but-on-the/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) [Browse all 431 Ambiguity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambiguity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Because the meaning of a story does not lie on its surface, visible and self-defining, does not mean that meaning does not exist. 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