---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Either the well was very deep, or she…"
description: "\"“Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of time as she went down to look about her, and to wonder what was going to..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92b/lewis-carroll-324_time_either-the-well-was-very-deep-or-she-fel_1483389.jpg"
---

#  Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly…

![“Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of time as she went down to look about her, and to wonder what was going to happen next. First, she tried to look down and make out what she was coming to, but it was too dark to see anything: then she looked at the sides…” quote by Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92b/lewis-carroll-324_time_either-the-well-was-very-deep-or-she-fel_1483389.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92b/lewis-carroll-324_time_either-the-well-was-very-deep-or-she-fel_1483389.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92b/lewis-carroll-324_time_either-the-well-was-very-deep-or-she-fel_1483389.jpg)

> ““Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of time as she went down to look about her, and to wonder what was going to happen next. First, she tried to look down and make out what she was coming to, but it was too dark to see anything: then she looked at the sides of the well, and noticed that they were filled with cupboards and book-shelves: here and there she saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs. She took down a jar from one of the shelves as she passed: it was labelled “ORANGE MARMALADE,” but to her great disappointment it was empty: she did not like to drop the jar, for fear of killing somebody underneath, so managed to put it into one of the cupboards as she fell past it.””

[Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A surreal descent into an unknown well reveals curiosity, fear, and the absurdity of searching for meaning in empty symbols.

**In simple terms:** Curiosity meets fear in a strange journey.

Key Takeaway

Embrace uncertainty, observe without clinging.

Themes

curiosity fear absurdity exploration

Mood

wonderful uneasy

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- reading a novel
- creative writing
- psychological introspection

Key Concepts

existentialism symbolism surrealism

Questions to Reflect On

- What does the empty jar represent?
- How do you react when you cannot see the bottom?

A Different Perspective

The metaphor may be too obscure for practical guidance.

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[Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

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