--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You, have this whole tall, dark stranger…" description: "\"You, have this whole tall, dark stranger thing going on. Not to mention the tortured artist bit. And you, have that whole blonde cool and collected per..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/sarah-dessen-110_art_you-have-this-whole-tall-dark-stranger-t_1883469.png" --- # You, have this whole tall, dark stranger thing going on… ![“You, have this whole tall, dark stranger thing going on. Not to mention the tortured artist bit. And you, have that whole blonde cool and collected perfect smart thing going on. You're the boy all the girls want to rebel with. You, are the unattainable girl in homeroom who never gives a guy the…” quote by Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/sarah-dessen-110_art_you-have-this-whole-tall-dark-stranger-t_1883469.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/sarah-dessen-110_art_you-have-this-whole-tall-dark-stranger-t_1883469.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/sarah-dessen-110_art_you-have-this-whole-tall-dark-stranger-t_1883469.png) > “You, have this whole tall, dark stranger thing going on. Not to mention the tortured artist bit. And you, have that whole blonde cool and collected perfect smart thing going on. You're the boy all the girls want to rebel with. You, are the unattainable girl in homeroom who never gives a guy the time of day.” [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A commentary on teenage stereotypes, highlighting how social labels and expectations shape identity and desire. **In simple terms:** Teen stereotypes and desire. Key Takeaway Question and challenge social labels. Themes teenage life stereotypes identity desire Mood reflective critical Type literary social When to use this quote - high school - dating - self‑esteem - rebellion Key Concepts social labeling peer pressure Questions to Reflect On - Which label feels most limiting to you? - How can you see beyond the “tall dark stranger” archetype? A Different Perspective Stereotypes can oversimplify complex individuals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Rebel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rebel/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) [Stranger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stranger/) [Time of day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-of-day/) ## Related quotes > [“I just shook my head, knowing this was him evading the question. You," I said, "have this whole tall, dark stranger thing going on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-just-shook-my-head-knowing-this-was-him-evading-the-question-you-i/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“Donneven," I said, in my best Monica imitation, and he laughed. "We're not talking about me." "We could be," he said, as I watched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/donneven-i-said-in-my-best-monica-imitation-and-he-laughed-we-re-not/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [You might be a redneck if during your senior year you and your mother had homeroom together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-foxworthy/you-might-be-a-redneck-if-during-your-senior-year-you-and-your-mother/) [Jeff Foxworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-foxworthy/) > [When I was a high school freshman in Honolulu, I would sit with my girlfriends on the bleachers of the school amphitheater every morning.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-mock/when-i-was-a-high-school-freshman-in-honolulu-i-would-sit-with-my/) [Janet Mock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-mock/) > [“I arrange to meet Kimmie and Wes before homeroom the following day. The cafeteria serves breakfast for early risers in the form of stale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-faria-stolarz/i-arrange-to-meet-kimmie-and-wes-before-homeroom-the-following-day/) [Laurie Faria Stolarz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-faria-stolarz/) > [Living, being in the world, was a much greater and stranger thing than she had ever dreamed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/living-being-in-the-world-was-a-much-greater-and-stranger-thing-than/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“It is a still stranger thing that there is nothing so delightful in the world as telling stories. It is far pleasanter than writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/it-is-a-still-stranger-thing-that-there-is-nothing-so-delightful-in/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [What a strange thing man is; and what a stranger thing woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/what-a-strange-thing-man-is-and-what-a-stranger-thing-woman/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [I don't fall into the category of tortured artist. But it's not made me more or less anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-gallagher/i-don-t-fall-into-the-category-of-tortured-artist-but-it-s-not-made/) [Noel Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-gallagher/) > [He didn't see me looking at him, but I could tell the ceremony was having the same effect on him. He was enraptured. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/he-didn-t-see-me-looking-at-him-but-i-could-tell-the-ceremony-was/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [Not only was he not mad, but he was a musician, and my favorite men had always been musicians or writers or anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-keyes/not-only-was-he-not-mad-but-he-was-a-musician-and-my-favorite-men-had/) [Marian Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-keyes/) > [“But to continue the story of my professional experiences. I made one pound ten and six by my first review; and I bought a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/but-to-continue-the-story-of-my-professional-experiences-i-made-one/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Old clothes do not make a tortured artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-rowland/old-clothes-do-not-make-a-tortured-artist/) Kevin Rowland > [I gotta say, the Catholic Church has churned out a lot of great artists and directors and actors, so if that's all they do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rust/i-gotta-say-the-catholic-church-has-churned-out-a-lot-of-great/) [Paul Rust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rust/) > [Nothing that's ever happened has taken away the optimist in me. It's always, "Whatever-let's go to Disneyland." Yes, I have my bleak, tortured-artist moments,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/nothing-that-s-ever-happened-has-taken-away-the-optimist-in-me-it-s/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) ## More by Sarah Dessen > [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“if i were a book i would be so open”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/if-i-were-a-book-i-would-be-so-open/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [Harder to get in than out, like so little else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/harder-to-get-in-than-out-like-so-little-else/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“At times, I found myself questioning his very existence, even though I knew I had, in fact, spotted him, with my own eyes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/at-times-i-found-myself-questioning-his-very-existence-even-though-i/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [You don't have to say it out loud. I already know why you like me.' 'You do, huh?' 'Yep.' He wrapped his arms around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/you-don-t-have-to-say-it-out-loud-i-already-know-why-you-like-me-you/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [No relationship is perfect, ever. There are always some ways you have to bend, to compromise, to give something up in order to gain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/no-relationship-is-perfect-ever-there-are-always-some-ways-you-have/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [When you had to do something, you had to do it. And eventually, if you were lucky, you did it well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/when-you-had-to-do-something-you-had-to-do-it-and-eventually-if-you/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [the truth about forever is that it is happening right now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/the-truth-about-forever-is-that-it-is-happening-right-now/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I jammed my hand in my jacket pocket, bracing myself fo the next hit, and fel something. Something grainy and samll, sticking to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-jammed-my-hand-in-my-jacket-pocket-bracing-myself-fo-the-next-hit/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I had no illusions about love anymore. It came, it went, it left casualties or it didn't. People weren't meant to be together forever,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-had-no-illusions-about-love-anymore-it-came-it-went-it-left/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“But maybe that isn't so bad. You can't love anyone that way more than once in a lifetime. It's too hard and it hurts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/but-maybe-that-isn-t-so-bad-you-can-t-love-anyone-that-way-more-than/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [This was just one night, one chance to vary and see where it took me. The fireflies were probably already out: maybe it wasn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/this-was-just-one-night-one-chance-to-vary-and-see-where-it-took-me/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [call it chicken salad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/call-it-chicken-salad/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“For me, however, it was a mix of the two, this constant push and pull. I loved it here. But I'd been in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/for-me-however-it-was-a-mix-of-the-two-this-constant-push-and-pull-i/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I think whenever a writer is really enjoying themselves and liking what they are doing, that shows on the page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-think-whenever-a-writer-is-really-enjoying-themselves-and-liking/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) [Explore all 1,251 Sarah Dessen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You, have this whole tall, dark stranger thing going on. 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