--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But that was before she'd gotten that…" description: "\"“But that was before she'd gotten that chest, before that slash of black hair had gone from something to pull on the bus to something to stroke in the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf8/junot-diaz-531_black-hair_but-that-was-before-she-d-gotten-that-ch_2725664.jpg" --- # But that was before she'd gotten that chest, before that… ![“But that was before she'd gotten that chest, before that slash of black hair had gone from something to pull on the bus to something to stroke in the dark.” quote by Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf8/junot-diaz-531_black-hair_but-that-was-before-she-d-gotten-that-ch_2725664.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf8/junot-diaz-531_black-hair_but-that-was-before-she-d-gotten-that-ch_2725664.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf8/junot-diaz-531_black-hair_but-that-was-before-she-d-gotten-that-ch_2725664.jpg) > ““But that was before she'd gotten that chest, before that slash of black hair had gone from something to pull on the bus to something to stroke in the dark.”” [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Physical changes can symbolize deeper personal transformations and identity shifts. **In simple terms:** Her hair change reflects inner change. Key Takeaway Notice how appearance mirrors growth. Themes identity transformation appearance Mood analytical interpretive Type literary psychological When to use this quote - personal rebranding - coming‑of‑age stories - self‑expression Key Concepts psychology literature self‑discovery Questions to Reflect On - What does the hair symbolize for her identity? - How do physical traits reflect inner change? A Different Perspective Risk of superficial interpretation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-hair/) [Bus Stroke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bus-stroke-2916460/) [Chest Slash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chest-slash-2916459/) [Gotten Chest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gotten-chest-2916461/) [Hair Gone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hair-gone-2232816/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) ## Related quotes > [“I couldn’t help but think she’d gotten her chest plus mine. But that was okay, because I liked to think I’d gotten her brains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hawthorne/i-couldn-t-help-but-think-she-d-gotten-her-chest-plus-mine-but-that/) [Rachel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hawthorne/) > [“One of the pluses of chemotherapy, she tells the volunteers, is that all her facial and body hair has gone. It’s like a permanent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-joyce/one-of-the-pluses-of-chemotherapy-she-tells-the-volunteers-is-that/) [Rachel Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-joyce/) > [When my hair's all but gone and my memory fades And the crowds don't remember my name When my hands don't play the strings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-sheeran/when-my-hair-s-all-but-gone-and-my-memory-fades-and-the-crowds-don-t/) [Ed Sheeran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-sheeran/) > [My hair looks like it had been purchased at a rummage sale after all the real hair was gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haven-kimmel/my-hair-looks-like-it-had-been-purchased-at-a-rummage-sale-after-all/) [Haven Kimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haven-kimmel/) > [I've chopped off a good chunk of my hair and gone darker and I look a bit older.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-jessie/i-ve-chopped-off-a-good-chunk-of-my-hair-and-gone-darker-and-i-look-a/) [Claudia Jessie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-jessie/) > [“I have been lusting after my wife’s son since the day I met him. Tall and thin, the boy has yet to grow into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candi-kay/i-have-been-lusting-after-my-wife-s-son-since-the-day-i-met-him-tall/) [Candi Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candi-kay/) > [“If you threw Elvis and a scarecrow in a blender, topped the whole thing off with Seagram's 7 and pressed dice, you would make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-portes/if-you-threw-elvis-and-a-scarecrow-in-a-blender-topped-the-whole/) [Andrea Portes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-portes/) > [“Water matted his black hair into spikes and peppered his skin with a fresh sheen. If I shut my eyes I could still see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-silverwood/water-matted-his-black-hair-into-spikes-and-peppered-his-skin-with-a/) [Jennifer Silverwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-silverwood/) > [“As we prepared for sleep that night I noticed that Lisa was staring at her reflection in the mirror. She looked as young now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-n-drake/as-we-prepared-for-sleep-that-night-i-noticed-that-lisa-was-staring/) [S.N. Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-n-drake/) > [“There are assorted side characters, too: the beautiful Gardnerian maidens with their long black hair; wicked Lupine shapeshifters—half-human, half-wolf; green-scaled Snake Elves; and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-forest/there-are-assorted-side-characters-too-the-beautiful-gardnerian/) [Laurie Forest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-forest/) > ['You spin in the sky, the world spins under you, and you step from land to land, while we . . .' She turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/you-spin-in-the-sky-the-world-spins-under-you-and-you-step-from-land/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [“the black hair that grew on the backs of his”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-barden/the-black-hair-that-grew-on-the-backs-of-his/) [Jenny Barden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-barden/) > [“In the picture, Ava Gardner's tousled black hair obscured her right eye, and her full, closed lips were pulled slightly to the right, resulting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-gifford/in-the-picture-ava-gardner-s-tousled-black-hair-obscured-her-right/) [Barry Gifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-gifford/) > [“The man could stop her heart, then send it into full gallop. Just a look at him. They’d been married more than two years,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-robb/the-man-could-stop-her-heart-then-send-it-into-full-gallop-just-a/) [J.D. Robb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-robb/) > [“I looked down into my baby’s beautiful green eyes and ached inside. She looked up at me with wide-eyed innocence. I kissed her warm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/i-looked-down-into-my-baby-s-beautiful-green-eyes-and-ached-inside/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) ## More by Junot Díaz > [It might interest you that just as the U.S. was ramping up its involvement in Vietnam, LBJ launched an illegal invasion of the Dominican…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/it-might-interest-you-that-just-as-the-u-s-was-ramping-up-its/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [Tell her that you love her hair, that you love her skin, her lips, because, in truth, you love them more than you love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/tell-her-that-you-love-her-hair-that-you-love-her-skin-her-lips/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [It took me sixteen years to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/it-took-me-sixteen-years-to-write/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [You ask everybody you know: How long does it usually take to get over it? There are many formulas. One year for every year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/you-ask-everybody-you-know-how-long-does-it-usually-take-to-get-over/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [Instead of finding himself in nerd heaven—where every nerd gets fifty-eight virgins to role-play with—he woke up in Robert Wood Johnson with two broken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/instead-of-finding-himself-in-nerd-heaven-where-every-nerd-gets-fifty/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [The one thing about being a dude and writing from a female perspective is that the baseline is, you suck. The baseline is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/the-one-thing-about-being-a-dude-and-writing-from-a-female/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“I used to think those were the barrio rules, Latinos and blacks in, whites out —a place we down cats weren’t supposed to go.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-used-to-think-those-were-the-barrio-rules-latinos-and-blacks-in/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“I put my hand on her knee. I just wish you'd say you love me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-put-my-hand-on-her-knee-i-just-wish-you-d-say-you-love-me/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [I've always thought that you don't love a country by turning a blind eye to its crimes and to a problem. The way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-ve-always-thought-that-you-don-t-love-a-country-by-turning-a-blind/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“Called her a whore and attacked her walls, tearing down her posters and throwing her books everywhere. I found out because some whitegirl ran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/called-her-a-whore-and-attacked-her-walls-tearing-down-her-posters/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [You're Dominican only if you do this, this, and that. And if you do this and that, you'll be accepted to a certain degree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/you-re-dominican-only-if-you-do-this-this-and-that-and-if-you-do-this/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“Ramfis fled the country after Trujillo's death, lived dissolutely off his father's swag, and ended up dying in a car crash of his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/ramfis-fled-the-country-after-trujillo-s-death-lived-dissolutely-off/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [If you didn't grow up like I did then you don't know, and if you don't know it's probably better you don't judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/if-you-didn-t-grow-up-like-i-did-then-you-don-t-know-and-if-you-don-t/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“If you ask me I don't think there are any such things as curses. I think there is only life. That's enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/if-you-ask-me-i-don-t-think-there-are-any-such-things-as-curses-i/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [The only difference between a published and unpublished writer is a tolerance for imperfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/the-only-difference-between-a-published-and-unpublished-writer-is-a/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) [Explore all 486 Junot Díaz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) ## More Black hair quotes > [“I looked down into my baby’s beautiful green eyes and ached inside. She looked up at me with wide-eyed innocence. I kissed her warm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/i-looked-down-into-my-baby-s-beautiful-green-eyes-and-ached-inside/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [“The man could stop her heart, then send it into full gallop. Just a look at him. They’d been married more than two years,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-robb/the-man-could-stop-her-heart-then-send-it-into-full-gallop-just-a/) [J.D. Robb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-robb/) > [“In the picture, Ava Gardner's tousled black hair obscured her right eye, and her full, closed lips were pulled slightly to the right, resulting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-gifford/in-the-picture-ava-gardner-s-tousled-black-hair-obscured-her-right/) [Barry Gifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-gifford/) > [“the black hair that grew on the backs of his”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-barden/the-black-hair-that-grew-on-the-backs-of-his/) [Jenny Barden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-barden/) > ['You spin in the sky, the world spins under you, and you step from land to land, while we . . .' She turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/you-spin-in-the-sky-the-world-spins-under-you-and-you-step-from-land/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [“There are assorted side characters, too: the beautiful Gardnerian maidens with their long black hair; wicked Lupine shapeshifters—half-human, half-wolf; green-scaled Snake Elves; and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-forest/there-are-assorted-side-characters-too-the-beautiful-gardnerian/) [Laurie Forest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-forest/) > [“As we prepared for sleep that night I noticed that Lisa was staring at her reflection in the mirror. She looked as young now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-n-drake/as-we-prepared-for-sleep-that-night-i-noticed-that-lisa-was-staring/) [S.N. Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-n-drake/) > [“Water matted his black hair into spikes and peppered his skin with a fresh sheen. If I shut my eyes I could still see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-silverwood/water-matted-his-black-hair-into-spikes-and-peppered-his-skin-with-a/) [Jennifer Silverwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-silverwood/) > [“If you threw Elvis and a scarecrow in a blender, topped the whole thing off with Seagram's 7 and pressed dice, you would make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-portes/if-you-threw-elvis-and-a-scarecrow-in-a-blender-topped-the-whole/) [Andrea Portes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-portes/) > [“I have been lusting after my wife’s son since the day I met him. Tall and thin, the boy has yet to grow into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candi-kay/i-have-been-lusting-after-my-wife-s-son-since-the-day-i-met-him-tall/) [Candi Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candi-kay/) > [“Again I see him, leaning back in one of the luxurious chairs with which his room was furnished. I see his indolent, athletic figure;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-hornung/again-i-see-him-leaning-back-in-one-of-the-luxurious-chairs-with/) [E.W. Hornung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-hornung/) > [Back in England, a girl with thick black hair, dusky skin and big brown eyes will turn heads. It is vice versa in India.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-jackson/back-in-england-a-girl-with-thick-black-hair-dusky-skin-and-big-brown/) [Amy Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-jackson/) > [“He wasn't at all what she had imagined. Tall, yes- but not plain, not dependable, not kind. Not by any stretch of fancy. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-kinsale/he-wasn-t-at-all-what-she-had-imagined-tall-yes-but-not-plain-not/) [Laura Kinsale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-kinsale/) > [“The first thing I noticed when I woke up was that I was covered in blood. The second thing I noticed was that this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-hodkin/the-first-thing-i-noticed-when-i-woke-up-was-that-i-was-covered-in/) [Michelle Hodkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-hodkin/) > [“March 6, 1961 I remembered a party in a house outside of Ann Arbor. There was a jazz band -- piano, bass, drums, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-michaels/march-6-1961-i-remembered-a-party-in-a-house-outside-of-ann-arbor/) [Leonard Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-michaels/) [Browse all 380 Black hair quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-hair/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But that was before she'd gotten that chest, before that slash of black hair had gone from something to pull on the bus to something to stroke in the dark.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Junot Díaz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/but-that-was-before-she-d-gotten-that-chest-before-that-slash-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Black hair" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/but-that-was-before-she-d-gotten-that-chest-before-that-slash-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf8/junot-diaz-531_black-hair_but-that-was-before-she-d-gotten-that-ch_2725664.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf8/junot-diaz-531_black-hair_but-that-was-before-she-d-gotten-that-ch_2725664.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf8/junot-diaz-531_black-hair_but-that-was-before-she-d-gotten-that-ch_2725664.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But that was before she'd gotten that chest, before that slash of black hair had gone from something to pull…” — Junot Díaz", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Junot Díaz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“But that was before she'd gotten...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/but-that-was-before-she-d-gotten-that-chest-before-that-slash-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/but-that-was-before-she-d-gotten-that-chest-before-that-slash-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```