--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But how can you walk away from something…" description: "\"But how can you walk away from something and still come back to it?\" \"Easy,\" said the cat. \"Think of somebody walking around the world. You start out w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4c/neil-gaiman-29_around-the-world_but-how-can-you-walk-away-from-something_1695383.jpg" --- # But how can you walk away from something and still come… ![“But how can you walk away from something and still come back to it?" "Easy," said the cat. "Think of somebody walking around the world. You start out walking away from something and end up coming back to it." "Small world," said Coraline. "It's big enough for her," said the cat. "spiders' webs…” quote by Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4c/neil-gaiman-29_around-the-world_but-how-can-you-walk-away-from-something_1695383.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4c/neil-gaiman-29_around-the-world_but-how-can-you-walk-away-from-something_1695383.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4c/neil-gaiman-29_around-the-world_but-how-can-you-walk-away-from-something_1695383.jpg) > “But how can you walk away from something and still come back to it?" "Easy," said the cat. "Think of somebody walking around the world. You start out walking away from something and end up coming back to it." "Small world," said Coraline. "It's big enough for her," said the cat. "spiders' webs only have to be large enough to catch flies." Coraline shivered.” [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The cat illustrates that moving away can lead back to the same place, highlighting the paradox of distance and return in a small world. **In simple terms:** Leaving can bring you back to where you started. Key Takeaway Embrace cycles of departure and return. Themes growth paradox journey perspective Mood thoughtful curious Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal growth - relationships - travel - life transitions Key Concepts circularity homecoming small world Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle returning to a situation after a break? - What does “small world” mean to you? A Different Perspective Returning may not resolve underlying issues; distance can amplify them. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Around the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/around-the-world/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Cat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cat/) [Cat Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cat-think-387245/) [Coming back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coming-back/) [Coraline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coraline/) [Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Flies Coraline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flies-coraline-1097552/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Said Coraline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-coraline-771272/) [Small world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-world/) [Spider web](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spider-web/) [Spiders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiders/) [Spiders Webs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiders-webs-1097553/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Walking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walking/) [Walking around](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walking-around/) [Walking away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walking-away/) [Walks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walks/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [You know I love you,' said the other mother flatly. 'You have a very funny way of showing it,' said Coraline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-know-i-love-you-said-the-other-mother-flatly-you-have-a-very/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I have no plans to love you," said Coraline. "No matter what. You can't make me love you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-have-no-plans-to-love-you-said-coraline-no-matter-what-you-can-t/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There's a but, isn't there?" said Coraline. "I can feel it. Like a rain cloud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/there-s-a-but-isn-t-there-said-coraline-i-can-feel-it-like-a-rain/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [What's your name,' Coraline asked the cat. 'Look, I'm Coraline. Okay?' 'Cats don't have names,' it said. 'No?' said Coraline. 'No,' said the cat.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-s-your-name-coraline-asked-the-cat-look-i-m-coraline-okay-cats/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Cats don’t have names,” it said. “No?” said Coraline. “No,” said the cat. “Now, you people have names. That’s because you don’t know who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/cats-don-t-have-names-it-said-no-said-coraline-no-said-the-cat-now/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Now Coraline," said Miss Spink, "what's your name?" "Coraline," said Coraline. "And we don't know each other, do we?" 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"Spiders' webs only have to be large enough to catch flies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/it-s-big-enough-for-her-said-the-cat-spiders-webs-only-have-to-be/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“It's big enough for her," said the chat. "Spiders' webs only have to be large enough to catch flies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/it-s-big-enough-for-her-said-the-chat-spiders-webs-only-have-to-be/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“We... we could be friends, you know,' said Coraline. 'We could be rare specimens of an exotic breed of African dancing elephants,' said the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/we-we-could-be-friends-you-know-said-coraline-we-could-be-rare/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Coraline tried drawing the mist. After ten minutes of drawing she still had a white sheet of paper with "MIST" written on it one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/coraline-tried-drawing-the-mist-after-ten-minutes-of-drawing-she/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## More by Neil Gaiman > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Like all sentient beings, Fat Charlie had a weirdness quotient. 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If all you have is a beginning, then once you've written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-need-more-than-a-beginning-if-you-re-going-to-start-a-book-if-all/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [You can tell the date of an old science fiction novel by every word on the page. 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