--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After all that carryin' on just gettin'…" description: "\"“After all that carryin' on just gettin' him out and keepin' him alive he wanted to crawl back in my womb and well...I ain't got the room no more even ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/249/toni-morrison-271_sula_after-all-that-carryin-on-just-gettin-hi_674687.jpg" --- # After all that carryin' on just gettin' him out and… ![“After all that carryin' on just gettin' him out and keepin' him alive he wanted to crawl back in my womb and well...I ain't got the room no more even if he could do it. There wasn't space for him in my womb (71).” quote by Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/249/toni-morrison-271_sula_after-all-that-carryin-on-just-gettin-hi_674687.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/249/toni-morrison-271_sula_after-all-that-carryin-on-just-gettin-hi_674687.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/249/toni-morrison-271_sula_after-all-that-carryin-on-just-gettin-hi_674687.jpg) > ““After all that carryin' on just gettin' him out and keepin' him alive he wanted to crawl back in my womb and well...I ain't got the room no more even if he could do it. There wasn't space for him in my womb (71).”” [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker reflects on a painful, impossible desire to protect someone even after they have caused suffering, realizing there is no longer any capacity to shelter them. **In simple terms:** Even when we want to protect, sometimes there is no space left. Key Takeaway Accept limits and seek healthier boundaries. Themes family loss boundaries protection grief Mood sad reflective melancholy Type literary emotional cautionary When to use this quote - parenting - caregiving - relationships - personal healing Key Concepts psychology attachment trauma self‑care Questions to Reflect On - Can you identify where you are overextending yourself? - What boundaries protect your well‑being? A Different Perspective Sometimes love cannot overcome practical constraints or emotional exhaustion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“...Sula was wrong. Hell ain't things lasting forever. Hell is change." Not only did men leave and children grow up and die, but even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/sula-was-wrong-hell-ain-t-things-lasting-forever-hell-is-change-not/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Carefully they replaced the soil and covered the entire grave with uprooted grass. Neither one had spoken a word.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/carefully-they-replaced-the-soil-and-covered-the-entire-grave-with/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Sula never competed; she simply helped others define themselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/sula-never-competed-she-simply-helped-others-define-themselves/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Shadrack rose and returned to the cot, where he fell into the first sleep of his new life. A sleep deeper than the hospital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/shadrack-rose-and-returned-to-the-cot-where-he-fell-into-the-first/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [... I keep wanting to crawl back into the womb ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-keep-wanting-to-crawl-back-into-the-womb/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [It's funny because when you do become successful, you're forced to look backwards and try to crawl back into the womb where you first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-white/it-s-funny-because-when-you-do-become-successful-you-re-forced-to/) [Jack White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-white/) > [Got just enough room to be a friend of yours. Oh I hope you got room to be a friend of mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aberjhani/got-just-enough-room-to-be-a-friend-of-yours-oh-i-hope-you-got-room/) [Aberjhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aberjhani/) > [“Move in with me.” Dominic’s gaze flew to my face. “What?” I folded my hands behind my head. “Move in with me. I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-erickson/move-in-with-me-dominic-s-gaze-flew-to-my-face-what-i-folded-my-hands/) [Megan Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-erickson/) > [We ain't got no room for the hate no more. That's got to go out of the window real quick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-clarkson/we-ain-t-got-no-room-for-the-hate-no-more-that-s-got-to-go-out-of-the/) [Jordan Clarkson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-clarkson/) > [It's crazy how Tech N9ne was back home in L.A. He knew about my situation, what I was doing, trying to find other labels.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-rock/it-s-crazy-how-tech-n9ne-was-back-home-in-l-a-he-knew-about-my/) [Jay Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-rock/) > [“You ever think about unpacking anything?” “I’ve got a system. One room at a time.” He”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-griffin/you-ever-think-about-unpacking-anything-i-ve-got-a-system-one-room-at/) [Laura Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-griffin/) > [I like it here in Austin. Anybody got a room?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-richards/i-like-it-here-in-austin-anybody-got-a-room/) [Keith Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-richards/) > [I got time, I'm only 21, I've got room to learn and grow as a fighter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dubois/i-got-time-i-m-only-21-i-ve-got-room-to-learn-and-grow-as-a-fighter/) [Daniel Dubois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dubois/) > [I've got a room at the top of the world tonight. I can see everything tonight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-ve-got-a-room-at-the-top-of-the-world-tonight-i-can-see-everything/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [People looked at me as a carpetbagger coming over from pop to country. But it helped because it got me in the room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darius-rucker/people-looked-at-me-as-a-carpetbagger-coming-over-from-pop-to-country/) [Darius Rucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darius-rucker/) ## More by Toni Morrison > [Perhaps that's what all human relationships boiled down to: Would you save my life? or would you take it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/perhaps-that-s-what-all-human-relationships-boiled-down-to-would-you/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [In times of dread, artists must never choose to remain silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/in-times-of-dread-artists-must-never-choose-to-remain-silent/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Not know it was hard;knowing it was harder”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/not-know-it-was-hard-knowing-it-was-harder/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Didn’t everything on God’s earth have or acquire defense?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/didn-t-everything-on-god-s-earth-have-or-acquire-defense/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [If you can't count, they can cheat you. If you can't read, they can beat you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/if-you-can-t-count-they-can-cheat-you-if-you-can-t-read-they-can-beat/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“You looked at them and wondered why the were so ugly; you looked closely and could not find the source. Then you realized that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/you-looked-at-them-and-wondered-why-the-were-so-ugly-you-looked/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [All she saw, down in the cellar well beneath the stoop, was a light yellow feather with a tip of green. And she had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/all-she-saw-down-in-the-cellar-well-beneath-the-stoop-was-a-light/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [For me, Art is the restoration of order. It may discuss all sort of terrible things, but there must be satisfaction at the end.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/for-me-art-is-the-restoration-of-order-it-may-discuss-all-sort-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“To Sethe, the future was a matter of keeping the past at bay”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/to-sethe-the-future-was-a-matter-of-keeping-the-past-at-bay/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Hate does that. Burns off everything but itself, so whatever your grievance is, your face looks just like your enemy's.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/hate-does-that-burns-off-everything-but-itself-so-whatever-your/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“You know how a star is supposed to twinkle? We say twinkle because that is how it looks, but when a star feels itself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/you-know-how-a-star-is-supposed-to-twinkle-we-say-twinkle-because/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“There is no bad luck in the world but whitefolks”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-is-no-bad-luck-in-the-world-but-whitefolks/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [My father saw two black men lynched on his street in Cartersville, as a child. And I think seeing two black businessmen - not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/my-father-saw-two-black-men-lynched-on-his-street-in-cartersville-as/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“She was fierce in the presence of death, heroic even, as she was at no other time. Its threat gave her direction, clarity, audacity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/she-was-fierce-in-the-presence-of-death-heroic-even-as-she-was-at-no/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) [Explore all 774 Toni Morrison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## More Sula quotes > [“Sula never competed; she simply helped others define themselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/sula-never-competed-she-simply-helped-others-define-themselves/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Shadrack rose and returned to the cot, where he fell into the first sleep of his new life. A sleep deeper than the hospital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/shadrack-rose-and-returned-to-the-cot-where-he-fell-into-the-first/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Carefully they replaced the soil and covered the entire grave with uprooted grass. Neither one had spoken a word.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/carefully-they-replaced-the-soil-and-covered-the-entire-grave-with/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“...Sula was wrong. Hell ain't things lasting forever. Hell is change." Not only did men leave and children grow up and die, but even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/sula-was-wrong-hell-ain-t-things-lasting-forever-hell-is-change-not/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) Browse all 5 Sula quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“After all that carryin' on just gettin' him out and keepin' him alive he wanted to crawl back in my womb and well...I ain't got the room no more even if he could do it. 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