--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: (What Hatüey said on the pyre is a legend…" description: "\"“(What Hatüey said on the pyre is a legend in itself: Are there white people in Heaven? Then I'd rather go to Hell.)”\" — Junot Díaz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/junot-diaz-531_white-people_what-hat-ey-said-on-the-pyre-is-a-legend_1465224.jpg" --- # (What Hatüey said on the pyre is a legend in itself: Are… ![“(What Hatüey said on the pyre is a legend in itself: Are there white people in Heaven? Then I'd rather go to Hell.)” quote by Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/junot-diaz-531_white-people_what-hat-ey-said-on-the-pyre-is-a-legend_1465224.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/junot-diaz-531_white-people_what-hat-ey-said-on-the-pyre-is-a-legend_1465224.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/junot-diaz-531_white-people_what-hat-ey-said-on-the-pyre-is-a-legend_1465224.jpg) > ““(What Hatüey said on the pyre is a legend in itself: Are there white people in Heaven? Then I'd rather go to Hell.)”” [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. A character questions whether heaven is for white people, preferring hell, highlighting racial exclusion and existential choice. **In simple terms:** Racial exclusion leads to choosing hell over heaven. Key Takeaway Confront racial myths. Themes race existence identity humor literature Mood provocative darkly humorous Type philosophical satirical When to use this quote - book clubs - college seminars - social justice workshops - personal reflection - creative writing Key Concepts racial theology existential irony Questions to Reflect On - How does humor expose racial bias? - What does choosing hell signify? A Different Perspective Some may view it as flippant rather than serious. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hatüey Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hat-ey-said-5303078/) [Heaven hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven-hell/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [People Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-heaven-874199/) [Pyre Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pyre-legend-5303076/) [Said Pyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-pyre-5303077/) [White people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-people/) ## Related quotes > [“Casa Hatüey was named Hatüey because in Times Past it supposedly had been owned by a descendant of the priest who tried to baptize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/casa-hat-ey-was-named-hat-ey-because-in-times-past-it-supposedly-had/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“If some people go to heaven and some hell, what makes it different than this world?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/if-some-people-go-to-heaven-and-some-hell-what-makes-it-different/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [We may be surprised at the people we find in heaven. God has a soft spot for sinners. His standards are quite low.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/we-may-be-surprised-at-the-people-we-find-in-heaven-god-has-a-soft/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [And this reality extends beyond this life. Heaven is full of forgiven people. Hell is full of forgiven people. Heaven is full of people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/and-this-reality-extends-beyond-this-life-heaven-is-full-of-forgiven/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [Jesus ain't American, you know what I mean? And there is gonna be more people in Heaven who don't speak English and are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lecrae/jesus-ain-t-american-you-know-what-i-mean-and-there-is-gonna-be-more/) [Lecrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lecrae/) > [The Gospel is not how people get to heaven. The Gospel is how people get to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-gospel-is-not-how-people-get-to-heaven-the-gospel-is-how-people/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Even god lacks of good people in heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/even-god-lacks-of-good-people-in-heaven/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [“For if there are (at a venture) seventy-six different times all ticking in the mind at once, how many different people are there not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-if-there-are-at-a-venture-seventy-six-different-times-all-ticking/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“My job as a Christian is not to get people to heaven when they die, it's to get heaven to people while they're alive”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-r-silva/my-job-as-a-christian-is-not-to-get-people-to-heaven-when-they-die-it/) [D.R. Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-r-silva/) > [There will be no people in heaven who want to be around their things more than Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/there-will-be-no-people-in-heaven-who-want-to-be-around-their-things/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [If you enroll as one of God's people, then heaven is your country and God your lawgiver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clement-of-alexandria/if-you-enroll-as-one-of-god-s-people-then-heaven-is-your-country-and/) [Clement of Alexandria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clement-of-alexandria/) > [“When God is making these judgements, his purpose is not to keep as many people out of hell as possible. His goal is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-p-moreland/when-god-is-making-these-judgements-his-purpose-is-not-to-keep-as/) [J.P. Moreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-p-moreland/) > [In LIFE, you have to invest to get the mansion Above,which people call Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mj-korvan/in-life-you-have-to-invest-to-get-the-mansion-above-which-people-call/) [MJ Korvan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mj-korvan/) > [Have you noticed there are no interesting people in heaven? -Just a hint to the girls as to where they can find their salvation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/have-you-noticed-there-are-no-interesting-people-in-heaven-just-a/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Anyone can devise a plan by which good people may go to Heaven. Only God can devise a plan whereby sinners, who are His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-sperry-chafer/anyone-can-devise-a-plan-by-which-good-people-may-go-to-heaven-only/) [Lewis Sperry Chafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-sperry-chafer/) ## 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 Heaven hell quotes > [The self is like a baseball. Throw it back to the divine pitcher who pitched it to you in the first place, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/the-self-is-like-a-baseball-throw-it-back-to-the-divine-pitcher-who/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [“There is no heaven or hell. No matter what you do while you're alive, everybody goes to the same place once you die. Death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsugumi-ohba/there-is-no-heaven-or-hell-no-matter-what-you-do-while-you-re-alive/) [Tsugumi Ohba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsugumi-ohba/) > [There is no God. There's no heaven. There's no hell. There are no angels. When you die, you go in the ground, the worms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/there-is-no-god-there-s-no-heaven-there-s-no-hell-there-are-no-angels/) [Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/) > [Marriage may be the closest thing to Heaven or Hell any of us will know on this earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-louis-cole/marriage-may-be-the-closest-thing-to-heaven-or-hell-any-of-us-will/) [Edwin Louis Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-louis-cole/) > [We're in the transition between birth and death. But the one that people often know about is the transition between the moment of death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-re-in-the-transition-between-birth-and-death-but-the-one-that/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [Better to reign in hell than serve in heav'n.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/better-to-reign-in-hell-than-serve-in-heav-n/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [“Look up at heaven and hell in the sky, for the stars are balls of fire suspended there by the angels.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/look-up-at-heaven-and-hell-in-the-sky-for-the-stars-are-balls-of-fire/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [By the skillful and sustained use of propaganda, one can make a people see even heaven as hell or an extremely wretched life as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/by-the-skillful-and-sustained-use-of-propaganda-one-can-make-a-people/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [For Jesus, heaven and hell were present realities. Ways of living we can enter into here and now. He talked very little of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/for-jesus-heaven-and-hell-were-present-realities-ways-of-living-we/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [If the Lord should bring a wicked man to heaven, heaven would be hell to him; for he who loves not grace upon earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-love/if-the-lord-should-bring-a-wicked-man-to-heaven-heaven-would-be-hell/) [Christopher Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-love/) > [“Dear Die-ary, I've been to heaven and hell...and I still don't know if there is a god or a devil. Still...it's something to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhonen-vasquez/dear-die-ary-i-ve-been-to-heaven-and-hell-and-i-still-don-t-know-if/) [Jhonen Vasquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhonen-vasquez/) > [“I play out the cards. They say: This is Heaven, this is Hell. It is one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-gulland/i-play-out-the-cards-they-say-this-is-heaven-this-is-hell-it-is-one/) [Sandra Gulland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-gulland/) > [What bliss will fill the ransomed souls, when they in glory dwell, to see the sinner as he rolls, in quenchless flames of hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-watts/what-bliss-will-fill-the-ransomed-souls-when-they-in-glory-dwell-to/) [Isaac Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-watts/) > [There is no heaven and there is no hell. They are not geographical, they are part of your psychology. They are psychological. To live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/there-is-no-heaven-and-there-is-no-hell-they-are-not-geographical/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“While life on earth offers many choices, eternity offers only two: heaven or hell. Your relationship to God on earth will determine your relationship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/while-life-on-earth-offers-many-choices-eternity-offers-only-two/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) [Browse all 399 Heaven hell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven-hell/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“(What Hatüey said on the pyre is a legend in itself: Are there white people in Heaven? 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