--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is the answer?” Gertrude Stein asked…" description: "\"“What is the answer?” Gertrude Stein asked Alice B. Toklas as Stein was dying. There was no reply. “In that case, what is the question?” Stein asked.”\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c2/nora-ephron-1217_gertrude-stein_what-is-the-answer-gertrude-stein-asked_2671288.jpg" --- # What is the answer?” Gertrude Stein asked Alice B. Toklas… ![“What is the answer?” Gertrude Stein asked Alice B. Toklas as Stein was dying. There was no reply. “In that case, what is the question?” Stein asked.” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c2/nora-ephron-1217_gertrude-stein_what-is-the-answer-gertrude-stein-asked_2671288.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c2/nora-ephron-1217_gertrude-stein_what-is-the-answer-gertrude-stein-asked_2671288.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c2/nora-ephron-1217_gertrude-stein_what-is-the-answer-gertrude-stein-asked_2671288.jpg) > ““What is the answer?” Gertrude Stein asked Alice B. Toklas as Stein was dying. There was no reply. “In that case, what is the question?” Stein asked.”” [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A dying writer asks a profound question, receives silence, then flips it, highlighting the importance of asking the right question before seeking answers. **In simple terms:** Ask the right question before looking for answers. Key Takeaway Focus on defining the problem first. Themes philosophy communication mortality Mood thoughtful contemplative Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal reflection - creative writing - decision making - problem solving Key Concepts existential inquiry dialogue clarity Questions to Reflect On - What question are you avoiding? - How does reframing a problem change your approach? A Different Perspective Without a clear question, answers may be meaningless. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Answer Gertrude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answer-gertrude-2504801/) [Asked Alice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asked-alice-583511/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gertrude-stein/) [Question Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question-stein-2504799/) [Stein Asked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stein-asked-2504800/) ## Related quotes > [“Concerning the death of Gertrude Stein: she came out of a deep coma to ask her companion Alice Toklas, 'Alice, Alice, what is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/concerning-the-death-of-gertrude-stein-she-came-out-of-a-deep-coma-to/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [“There ain’t no answer. There ain’t going to be any answer. There never has been an answer. That’s the answer. —Gertrude Stein”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-benjamin/there-ain-t-no-answer-there-ain-t-going-to-be-any-answer-there-never/) [Oliver Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-benjamin/) > [A correct answer is like an affectionate kiss, Goethe said; a correct answer, Gertrude would have said, is like a slap in the face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/a-correct-answer-is-like-an-affectionate-kiss-goethe-said-a-correct/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [“pleasure’, his enchanting voice was pleasing to her ears.Meanwhile, the maid brought two glasses of fresh mango juice. She placed it on the table…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/pleasure-his-enchanting-voice-was-pleasing-to-her-ears-meanwhile-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Sometimes you never feel meaner than the moment you stop being mean. 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I would say I write for myself, strangers and the great dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/gertrude-stein-said-i-write-for-myself-and-strangers-i-would-say-i/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [He came after Homer and before Gertrude Stein, a difficult interval for a poet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-carson/he-came-after-homer-and-before-gertrude-stein-a-difficult-interval/) [Anne Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-carson/) > [“Our little ford was almost ready. She was later to be called Auntie after Gertrude Stein's aunt Pauline who always behaved admirably in emergencies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/our-little-ford-was-almost-ready-she-was-later-to-be-called-auntie/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) ## More by Nora Ephron > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [“That's the catch about betrayal, of course: that it feels good, that there's something immensely pleasurable about moving from a complicated relationship which involves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/that-s-the-catch-about-betrayal-of-course-that-it-feels-good-that/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [“The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/the-whole-purpose-of-places-like-starbucks-is-for-people-with-no/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [Death is a sniper. It strikes people you love, people you like, people you know - it's everywhere. You could be next. 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When you tell people you slipped on a banana peel, it's your laugh.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/when-you-slip-on-a-banana-peel-people-laugh-at-you-when-you-tell/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [“I wish he were better at hailing taxis than I am; on the other hand, I realize that expectation is culturally conditioned, utterly foolish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/i-wish-he-were-better-at-hailing-taxis-than-i-am-on-the-other-hand-i/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [You enter into a certain amount of madness when you marry a person with pets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/you-enter-into-a-certain-amount-of-madness-when-you-marry-a-person/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [I never went near the Wellesley College chapel in my four years there, but I am still amazed at the amount of Christian charity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/i-never-went-near-the-wellesley-college-chapel-in-my-four-years-there/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [You can't call yourself a feminist if you don't believe in the right to abortion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/you-can-t-call-yourself-a-feminist-if-you-don-t-believe-in-the-right/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [“I always read the last page of a book first so that if I die before I finish I'll know how it turned out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/i-always-read-the-last-page-of-a-book-first-so-that-if-i-die-before-i/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [“If I was home alone at night, I cooked myself an entire meal from one of these cookbooks. Then I sat down in front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/if-i-was-home-alone-at-night-i-cooked-myself-an-entire-meal-from-one/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [“The next man I was involved with lived in Boston. He taught me to cook mushrooms. He taught me that if you heat the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/the-next-man-i-was-involved-with-lived-in-boston-he-taught-me-to-cook/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [“Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/whatever-you-choose-however-many-roads-you-travel-i-hope-that-you/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [A man who finishes a book is always alone when he finishes it...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/a-man-who-finishes-a-book-is-always-alone-when-he-finishes-it/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [“I hear myself saying these words: What this movement is about is options. I say it to friends who are frustrated, or housebound, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/i-hear-myself-saying-these-words-what-this-movement-is-about-is/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) [Explore all 272 Nora Ephron quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) ## More Gertrude Stein quotes > [“Our little ford was almost ready. She was later to be called Auntie after Gertrude Stein's aunt Pauline who always behaved admirably in emergencies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/our-little-ford-was-almost-ready-she-was-later-to-be-called-auntie/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [He came after Homer and before Gertrude Stein, a difficult interval for a poet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-carson/he-came-after-homer-and-before-gertrude-stein-a-difficult-interval/) [Anne Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-carson/) > [Gertrude Stein said, "I write for myself and strangers." I would say I write for myself, strangers and the great dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/gertrude-stein-said-i-write-for-myself-and-strangers-i-would-say-i/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [It seems all "protection" has to be monitored, considered, weighed and justified - I am suggesting we do that (but it's something Mary Shelley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-mullen/it-seems-all-protection-has-to-be-monitored-considered-weighed-and/) [Laura Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-mullen/) > [It seems to me that an author who has determined very new domains in literature is Gertrude Stein.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-queneau/it-seems-to-me-that-an-author-who-has-determined-very-new-domains-in/) [Raymond Queneau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-queneau/) > [“There are people out there who get annoyed at the story that Djuna barnes, rather than identify as a lesbian, preferred to say that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-nelson/there-are-people-out-there-who-get-annoyed-at-the-story-that-djuna/) [Maggie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-nelson/) > [“Things I forgot to tell you: That I love you, and that when I awake in the morning I use my intelligence to discover…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/things-i-forgot-to-tell-you-that-i-love-you-and-that-when-i-awake-in/) [Anaïs Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [“As I write this, I’m sitting in a café in Paris overlooking the Luxembourg Garden, just off of Rue Saint-Jacques. Rue Saint-Jacques is likely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/as-i-write-this-i-m-sitting-in-a-caf-in-paris-overlooking-the/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [Gertrude Stein, all courage and will, is a soldier of minimalism. Her work, unlike the resonating silences in the art of Samuel Beckett, embodies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hardwick/gertrude-stein-all-courage-and-will-is-a-soldier-of-minimalism-her/) [Elizabeth Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hardwick/) > [“Godiva was tired and old and Gertrude Stein in spring bought a new car...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-b-toklas/godiva-was-tired-and-old-and-gertrude-stein-in-spring-bought-a-new-car/) [Alice B. Toklas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-b-toklas/) > [I murmured to Picasso that I liked his portrait of Gertrude Stein. Yes, he said, everybody said that she does not look like it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-murmured-to-picasso-that-i-liked-his-portrait-of-gertrude-stein-yes/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [“When Gertrude Stein came to Ann Arbor, my mother said that all she said was, a rose is a rose is a rose is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-emshwiller/when-gertrude-stein-came-to-ann-arbor-my-mother-said-that-all-she/) [Carol Emshwiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-emshwiller/) > [“ Die Judenfrage ,' it used to be called, even by Jews. 'The Jewish Question.' I find I quite like this interrogative formulation, since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/die-judenfrage-it-used-to-be-called-even-by-jews-the-jewish-question/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [The two greatest mannequins of the century were Gertrude Stein and Edith Sitwell - unquestionably. You just couldn't take a bad picture of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-vreeland/the-two-greatest-mannequins-of-the-century-were-gertrude-stein-and/) [Diana Vreeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-vreeland/) > [“What're you reading?" "Gertrude Stein." I shook my head. I'd never heard of her. "The poet?" he asked. "You know, 'A rose is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-diffenbaugh/what-re-you-reading-gertrude-stein-i-shook-my-head-i-d-never-heard-of/) [Vanessa Diffenbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-diffenbaugh/) [Browse all 58 Gertrude Stein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gertrude-stein/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What is the answer?” Gertrude Stein asked Alice B. Toklas as Stein was dying. 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