--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Anything that happens after this party…" description: "\"“Anything that happens after this party breaks up is nothing. Everything is now. It's like war. Everyone is handsome, shining, just thinking about othe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44b/toni-morrison-271_war_anything-that-happens-after-this-party-b_1423064.jpg" --- # Anything that happens after this party breaks up is… ![“Anything that happens after this party breaks up is nothing. Everything is now. It's like war. Everyone is handsome, shining, just thinking about other people's blood. As though the red was flying from veins not theirs is facial makeup patented for its glow. Inspiriting. Glamorous. Afterward there…” quote by Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44b/toni-morrison-271_war_anything-that-happens-after-this-party-b_1423064.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44b/toni-morrison-271_war_anything-that-happens-after-this-party-b_1423064.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44b/toni-morrison-271_war_anything-that-happens-after-this-party-b_1423064.jpg) > ““Anything that happens after this party breaks up is nothing. Everything is now. It's like war. Everyone is handsome, shining, just thinking about other people's blood. As though the red was flying from veins not theirs is facial makeup patented for its glow. Inspiriting. Glamorous. Afterward there will be some chatter and recapitulation of what went on; nothing though like the action itself and the beat that pumps the heart. In war or at a party everyone is wily, intriguing; goals are set and altered, alliances rearranged. Partners and rivals devastated; new pairings triumphant. The knockout possibilities knock Dorcas out because here -- with grown-ups and as in war -- people play for keeps.”” [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 passage likens a chaotic party to war, describing shifting alliances, intense emotions, and the fleeting nature of excitement. **In simple terms:** Party is like war with changing alliances. Key Takeaway Observe how social dynamics mirror conflict. Themes conflict social dynamics identity Mood dramatic intense Type literary observational When to use this quote - nightlife - political gatherings - team building Key Concepts power structures human behavior Questions to Reflect On - How do alliances form in intense settings? - What drives the thrill of chaotic events? A Different Perspective May romanticize conflict, ignoring harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fair/) [Happens Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens-party-5045472/) [Heart War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-war-2141359/) [Like War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-war-273467/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Handsome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-handsome-5045473/) [War Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-party-1407217/) ## Related quotes > [His heart, the war. Her face, the battlefield.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/his-heart-the-war-her-face-the-battlefield/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) > [Peace has its price: your head and heart; less than that is war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/peace-has-its-price-your-head-and-heart-less-than-that-is-war/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [I said in my heart that, rather than have war, I would give up my country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chief-joseph/i-said-in-my-heart-that-rather-than-have-war-i-would-give-up-my/) [Chief Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chief-joseph/) > [“He didn’t sleep because he couldn’t. He couldn’t rest because his heart was still at war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skye-warren/he-didn-t-sleep-because-he-couldn-t-he-couldn-t-rest-because-his/) [Skye Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skye-warren/) > [“Love is like war. if u charge at it head on it may hurt you. but if you observe it and then move in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-radford/love-is-like-war-if-u-charge-at-it-head-on-it-may-hurt-you-but-if-you/) [Cody Radford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-radford/) > [Love is like a war, easy to start but very difficult to forget the barbaric memories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idris-kunle/love-is-like-a-war-easy-to-start-but-very-difficult-to-forget-the/) [Idris Kunle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idris-kunle/) > [Love is like war; begin when you like and leave off when you can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spanish-proverb/love-is-like-war-begin-when-you-like-and-leave-off-when-you-can/) [Spanish Proverb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spanish-proverb/) > [Love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop. --H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-3/love-is-like-war-easy-to-begin-but-very-hard-to-stop-h-l-mencken/) [H L Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-3/) > [Love is like a war; easy to start but hard to end and you never know where it might take you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/love-is-like-a-war-easy-to-start-but-hard-to-end-and-you-never-know/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/love-is-like-war-easy-to-begin-but-very-hard-to-stop/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Love is like a war, you either agree to it or not but it will always have damage to your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taah/love-is-like-a-war-you-either-agree-to-it-or-not-but-it-will-always/) [Taah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taah/) > [The War Party has two wings: the Democrats and the Republicans. All others are outsiders, whose ability to storm the gates is 'legally' restricted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-raimondo/the-war-party-has-two-wings-the-democrats-and-the-republicans-all/) [Justin Raimondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-raimondo/) > [In times of peace, the war party insists on making preparation for war. As soon as prepared for, it insists on making war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-times-of-peace-the-war-party-insists-on-making-preparation-for-war/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If there is no sufficient reason for war, the war party will make war on one pretext, then invent another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-la-follette-sr/if-there-is-no-sufficient-reason-for-war-the-war-party-will-make-war/) [Robert M. La Follette, Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-la-follette-sr/) > [War is party-blind. It doesn't care who is in the Oval Office. The forces that drive us to war don't care whether it's Republican,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/war-is-party-blind-it-doesn-t-care-who-is-in-the-oval-office-the/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) ## 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 Fair quotes > [We'd always come into Syracuse for the Empire State Games and the stair fair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beau-biden/we-d-always-come-into-syracuse-for-the-empire-state-games-and-the/) [Beau Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beau-biden/) > [If China someday gains a more fair, just, and accountable system of government, it will be due to the hard work and efforts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/if-china-someday-gains-a-more-fair-just-and-accountable-system-of/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [“All fair in love and bonus round”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-charters/all-fair-in-love-and-bonus-round/) [David Charters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-charters/) > [Do not complain of life's unfairness. It is never fair - at best it is impartial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/do-not-complain-of-life-s-unfairness-it-is-never-fair-at-best-it-is/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [Our own distrust gives a fair pretence for the knavery of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/our-own-distrust-gives-a-fair-pretence-for-the-knavery-of-other-people/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > ['Vanity Fair' is a left-wing rag.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ailes/vanity-fair-is-a-left-wing-rag/) [Roger Ailes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ailes/) > [Marylanders have led the nation in adopting a balanced approach to revenues and investments because we know that in order to maintain and build…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-o-malley/marylanders-have-led-the-nation-in-adopting-a-balanced-approach-to/) [Martin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-o-malley/) > [We did a 'Vanity Fair' spread for 'The Hunger Games,' and we were on set, and I saw a little head pop up from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-ludwig/we-did-a-vanity-fair-spread-for-the-hunger-games-and-we-were-on-set/) [Alexander Ludwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-ludwig/) > [It's encouraging to watch bipartisan leaders from different states recognize the need for fair and rational legislation focused on creating second chances for those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-g-rubin/it-s-encouraging-to-watch-bipartisan-leaders-from-different-states/) [Michael G. Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-g-rubin/) > [There's nothing fair nor beautiful, but takes Something from thee, that makes it beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/there-s-nothing-fair-nor-beautiful-but-takes-something-from-thee-that/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [I believe that free but fair trade is an absolute imperative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-james/i-believe-that-free-but-fair-trade-is-an-absolute-imperative/) [John E. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-james/) > ['Fair' is, like, this incredibly overused term in negotiations: 'I just want what's fair.' 'What's the fair market price?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/fair-is-like-this-incredibly-overused-term-in-negotiations-i-just/) [Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/) > [“Sometimes I feel that the only concept of fairness in our society is creams like fair & lovely or fair & handsome.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeroninio-almeida/sometimes-i-feel-that-the-only-concept-of-fairness-in-our-society-is/) [Jeroninio Almeida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeroninio-almeida/) > [When President Obama first came into office in 2009, I spent a fair amount of time in Michigan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-deese/when-president-obama-first-came-into-office-in-2009-i-spent-a-fair/) [Brian Deese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-deese/) > [I suggest you to do war but never love because in war either you live or you die. But in love neither you live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-suggest-you-to-do-war-but-never-love-because-in-war-either-you-live/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) [Browse all 1,541 Fair quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fair/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Anything that happens after this party breaks up is nothing. Everything is now. It's like war. Everyone is handsome, shining, just thinking about other people's blood. As though the red was flying from veins not theirs is facial makeup patented for its glow. Inspiriting. Glamorous. Afterward there will be some chatter and recapitulation of what went on; nothing though like the action itself and the beat that pumps the heart. In war or at a party everyone is wily, intriguing; goals are set and altered, alliances rearranged. Partners and rivals devastated; new pairings triumphant. 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