---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: what would happen if she'd open her eyes…"
description: "\"“what would happen if she'd open her eyes and see only dark and feel satin from the coffin? That'd scare her enough to kill her all over again. How do ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/rita-mae-brown-1111_dead-people_what-would-happen-if-she-d-open-her-eyes_80905.png"
---

#  what would happen if she'd open her eyes and see only dark…

![“what would happen if she'd open her eyes and see only dark and feel satin from the coffin? That'd scare her enough to kill her all over again. How do they know dead people don't open their eyes and see? they don't know nothing about being dead.” quote by Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/rita-mae-brown-1111_dead-people_what-would-happen-if-she-d-open-her-eyes_80905.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/rita-mae-brown-1111_dead-people_what-would-happen-if-she-d-open-her-eyes_80905.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/rita-mae-brown-1111_dead-people_what-would-happen-if-she-d-open-her-eyes_80905.png)

> ““what would happen if she'd open her eyes and see only dark and feel satin from the coffin? That'd scare her enough to kill her all over again. How do they know dead people don't open their eyes and see? they don't know nothing about being dead.””

[Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

## About This Quote

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

The quote imagines a terrifying perception of death, suggesting that the unknown darkness and the tactile sensation of a coffin could be so shocking that it might cause a dead person to die again, challenging assumptions about the dead's experience.

**In simple terms:** Explores fear of the unknown after death

Key Takeaway

Death may involve unsettling sensory experiences

Themes

mortality fear the unknown perception existential psychology

Mood

eerie thoughtful dark

Type

philosophical poetic hypothetical

When to use this quote

- contemplating mortality
- writing horror fiction
- discussing afterlife beliefs
- philosophical debate on consciousness

Key Concepts

death sensory perception afterlife existential dread

Practical Applications

- creative writing
- psychological analysis

Questions to Reflect On

- What does this suggest about our assumptions of death?
- How might sensory expectations shape our fear of the unknown?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Dead people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-people/)

## Related quotes

> [I knew that I would know more dead people. The bodies pile up. Could there be a space in my memory for each of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-knew-that-i-would-know-more-dead-people-the-bodies-pile-up-could/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“Look, I don't know why this happened to me. But it's hard. You know why dead people only go out at night, puppy? Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/look-i-don-t-know-why-this-happened-to-me-but-it-s-hard-you-know-why/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [“You know why dead people only go out at night, puppy? Because it’s easier to pass for real, in the dark. And I don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-know-why-dead-people-only-go-out-at-night-puppy-because-it-s/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [In case you didn't know, dead people don't bleed. If you can bleed-see it, feel it-then you know you're alive. It's irrefutable, undeniable proof.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-case-you-didn-t-know-dead-people-don-t-bleed-if-you-can-bleed-see/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The dead are the only people to have permanent dwellings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/the-dead-are-the-only-people-to-have-permanent-dwellings/)

[Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

> [“The eyes were dark and startling. They held such a wealth of intellect and of twinkling gaiety that his glasses seemed to be worn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-eyes-were-dark-and-startling-they-held-such-a-wealth-of-intellect/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [Plz Close Ur Eyes ! How Dark is It ? This is My Life Without U ! Soulmate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keren-zhims/plz-close-ur-eyes-how-dark-is-it-this-is-my-life-without-u-soulmate/)

[Keren Zhims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keren-zhims/)

> [She closed her eyes, dark-lidded, dark shadows beneath them; she really was older, not the glancing-eyed girl I had fallen in love with but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/she-closed-her-eyes-dark-lidded-dark-shadows-beneath-them-she-really/)

[Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/)

> [“brown hair, pebbly eyes dark beneath his straw hat, drove a team of workhorses from the west. His cheeks were sunburned”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/brown-hair-pebbly-eyes-dark-beneath-his-straw-hat-drove-a-team-of/)

[Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/)

> [“When Laurent turned to face him, his eyes were dark. His lips were parted uncertainly. He had lifted his hand to his own shoulder,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-u-pacat/when-laurent-turned-to-face-him-his-eyes-were-dark-his-lips-were/)

[S.U. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-u-pacat/)

> [“...have I told you? - your eyes are a dark poem of dancing snow at midnight ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-geddes/have-i-told-you-your-eyes-are-a-dark-poem-of-dancing-snow-at-midnight/)

[John Geddes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-geddes/)

> [“Her hair was a close enough brand of German blond, but she had dangerous eyes. Dark brown.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/her-hair-was-a-close-enough-brand-of-german-blond-but-she-had/)

[Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/)

> [His blue eyes were very dark...Will's were the colour of the sky just on the edge of the night...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/his-blue-eyes-were-very-dark-will-s-were-the-colour-of-the-sky-just/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [“Her eyes were dark. Dark as chocolate, dark as coffee, dark as the polished wood of my father’s lute. They were set in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kvothe-in-written-by-patrick-rothfuss/her-eyes-were-dark-dark-as-chocolate-dark-as-coffee-dark-as-the/)

Kvothe in written by Patrick Rothfuss

> [“Shannon couldn’t take her eyes from his. They mesmerized her, caused her to not want to ever look into another man’s eyes. They were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lacy-silk/shannon-couldn-t-take-her-eyes-from-his-they-mesmerized-her-caused/)

[Lacy Silk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lacy-silk/)

## More by Rita Mae Brown

> [“Friendship distills the sweetness of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/friendship-distills-the-sweetness-of-life/)

[Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

> [About all you can do in life is be who you are. Some people will love you for you. Most will love you for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/about-all-you-can-do-in-life-is-be-who-you-are-some-people-will-love/)

[Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

> [He tried to drown his troubles but they knew how to swim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/he-tried-to-drown-his-troubles-but-they-knew-how-to-swim/)

[Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

> [“The most revolutionary thing you can do is to be yourself, to speak your truth, to open your arms to life including the pain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/the-most-revolutionary-thing-you-can-do-is-to-be-yourself-to-speak/)

[Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

> [Content without style is propaganda or adolescence. Style without content is decadence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/content-without-style-is-propaganda-or-adolescence-style-without/)

[Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

> [Whenever I doubt the existence of God or the Goddess, I look at horses. Only God could have made a horse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/whenever-i-doubt-the-existence-of-god-or-the-goddess-i-look-at-horses/)

[Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

> [Language is decanted and shared. If only one person is left alive speaking a language - the case with some American Indian languages -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/language-is-decanted-and-shared-if-only-one-person-is-left-alive/)

[Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

> [“You know, it’s hell to work with a cat. They really are smarter than we are. Have you ever gotten anyone to feed you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/you-know-it-s-hell-to-work-with-a-cat-they-really-are-smarter-than-we/)

[Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

> [I don't want to die. I think death is a greatly overrated experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/i-don-t-want-to-die-i-think-death-is-a-greatly-overrated-experience/)

[Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

> [Leroy bet me I couldn't find a pot of gold at the end, and I told him that was a stupid bet because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/leroy-bet-me-i-couldn-t-find-a-pot-of-gold-at-the-end-and-i-told-him/)

[Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

> [An army of lovers shall not fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/an-army-of-lovers-shall-not-fail/)

[Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

> [Cats and dogs believe politicians are like cemetery caregivers; they are on top of everyone, but nobody listens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/cats-and-dogs-believe-politicians-are-like-cemetery-caregivers-they/)

[Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

> [Femininity and masculinity are social constructs. Female and male are biological. We don't have to learn to be men or women but we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/femininity-and-masculinity-are-social-constructs-female-and-male-are/)

[Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

> [One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/one-of-the-keys-to-happiness-is-a-bad-memory/)

[Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

> [I used to think romantic love was a neurosis shared by two, a supreme foolishness. I no longer think that. There's nothing foolish in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/i-used-to-think-romantic-love-was-a-neurosis-shared-by-two-a-supreme/)

[Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

[Explore all 290 Rita Mae Brown quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

## More Dead people quotes

> [“Although it may appear as though there have been many miracles in the world, a true miracle has never come to pass. A true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woo-myung/although-it-may-appear-as-though-there-have-been-many-miracles-in-the/)

[Woo Myung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woo-myung/)

> [“I need to ask, are you afraid of spiders?" Nicholas blinked, suddenly caught off guard, "Yes, I'm afraid of spiders." "Were you always?" "What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-m-irwin/i-need-to-ask-are-you-afraid-of-spiders-nicholas-blinked-suddenly/)

[Stephen M. Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-m-irwin/)

> [“I heard you in the other room asking your mother, 'Mama, am I a Palestinian?' When she answered 'Yes' a heavy silence fell on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ghassan-kanafani/i-heard-you-in-the-other-room-asking-your-mother-mama-am-i-a/)

[Ghassan Kanafani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ghassan-kanafani/)

> [“Well, I don't know, Lina. But let's just say I've met a lot of dead people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruta-sepetys/well-i-don-t-know-lina-but-let-s-just-say-i-ve-met-a-lot-of-dead/)

[Ruta Sepetys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruta-sepetys/)

> [Of course I want to kill you," said Skulduggery. "I want to kill most people. But then where would I be? In a field…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-landy/of-course-i-want-to-kill-you-said-skulduggery-i-want-to-kill-most/)

[Derek Landy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-landy/)

> [“A body can't be too partic'lar how they talk 'bout these-yer dead people, Tom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-body-can-t-be-too-partic-lar-how-they-talk-bout-these-yer-dead/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [The only thing that can be expected from the next US president is more war, more murder, and more oppression of the gullible American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/the-only-thing-that-can-be-expected-from-the-next-us-president-is/)

[Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/)

> [“The letter said that they were two feet high, and green, and shaped like plumber's friends. Their suction cups were on the ground, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-letter-said-that-they-were-two-feet-high-and-green-and-shaped/)

[Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/)

> [“When those who name dead people have gone, there just remains the calmness of foreign cemeteries, in which nothing appears familiar and nothing frightens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-loriga/when-those-who-name-dead-people-have-gone-there-just-remains-the/)

[Ray Loriga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-loriga/)

> [You totally need to watch the news." "Can't." "Why?" "It's too depressing." "Right, because hanging with dead people isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/you-totally-need-to-watch-the-news-can-t-why-it-s-too-depressing/)

[Darynda Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darynda-jones/)

> [“she was opposed to books on strict moral grounds, since she had heard that many of them were written by dead people and therefore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/she-was-opposed-to-books-on-strict-moral-grounds-since-she-had-heard/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [One thing about dead people, they're all the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-starkweather/one-thing-about-dead-people-they-re-all-the-same/)

[Charles Starkweather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-starkweather/)

> [I should write a book. I've always wanted to write a book. I should write a book about kids who see dead people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-noory/i-should-write-a-book-i-ve-always-wanted-to-write-a-book-i-should/)

[George Noory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-noory/)

> [Dolls are like small dead people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/dolls-are-like-small-dead-people/)

[Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/)

> [' Daisies' is about a guy touching dead people and bringing them back to life. It's kind of morbid, you know. But there's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-pace/daisies-is-about-a-guy-touching-dead-people-and-bringing-them-back-to/)

[Lee Pace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-pace/)

[Browse all 339 Dead people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-people/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“what would happen if she'd open her eyes and see only dark and feel satin from the coffin? That'd scare her enough to kill her all over again. How do they know dead people don't open their eyes and see? they don't know nothing about being dead.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Rita Mae Brown"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/what-would-happen-if-she-d-open-her-eyes-and-see-only-dark-and-feel/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Dead people"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/what-would-happen-if-she-d-open-her-eyes-and-see-only-dark-and-feel/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/rita-mae-brown-1111_dead-people_what-would-happen-if-she-d-open-her-eyes_80905.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/rita-mae-brown-1111_dead-people_what-would-happen-if-she-d-open-her-eyes_80905.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/rita-mae-brown-1111_dead-people_what-would-happen-if-she-d-open-her-eyes_80905.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“what would happen if she'd open her eyes and see only dark and feel satin from the coffin? That'd scare her…” — Rita Mae Brown",
                "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": "Rita Mae Brown",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“what would happen if she'd open...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/what-would-happen-if-she-d-open-her-eyes-and-see-only-dark-and-feel/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/what-would-happen-if-she-d-open-her-eyes-and-see-only-dark-and-feel/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
