--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My world did not shrink because I was a…" description: "\"My world did not shrink because I was a black female writer. It just got bigger.\" — Toni Morrison" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/387/toni-morrison-271_bigger_my-world-did-not-shrink-because-i-was-a_2253120.jpg" --- # My world did not shrink because I was a black female… ![“My world did not shrink because I was a black female writer. It just got bigger.” quote by Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/387/toni-morrison-271_bigger_my-world-did-not-shrink-because-i-was-a_2253120.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/387/toni-morrison-271_bigger_my-world-did-not-shrink-because-i-was-a_2253120.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/387/toni-morrison-271_bigger_my-world-did-not-shrink-because-i-was-a_2253120.jpg) > “My world did not shrink because I was a black female writer. It just got bigger.” [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. Being a black female writer didn't limit her perspective; it expanded her worldview and experiences. **In simple terms:** Her identity broadened her perspective. Key Takeaway Embrace identity to enrich creative work. Themes identity literature growth Mood empowering reflective Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - writing - public speaking - teaching - advocacy Key Concepts intersectionality cultural expansion Questions to Reflect On - How does identity shape your work? - What does “bigger world” mean to you? A Different Perspective Societal biases may still impose barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bigger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigger/) [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Black Female](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-female/) [Female](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/female/) [Female Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/female-writer-988534/) [Female writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/female-writers/) [Got Bigger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/got-bigger-427296/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Range of emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/range-of-emotions/) [Shrinks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shrinks/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Writer Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer-just/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I really think the range of emotions and perceptions I have had access to as a black person and as a female person are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/i-really-think-the-range-of-emotions-and-perceptions-i-have-had/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [I've had frank conversations with theaters who say, 'We love your play, but we've already done a play by another black person this year,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katori-hall/i-ve-had-frank-conversations-with-theaters-who-say-we-love-your-play/) [Katori Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katori-hall/) > [There's a female writer-performer thing going on in TV right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/there-s-a-female-writer-performer-thing-going-on-in-tv-right-now/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [A female writer does definitely get more attention if she writes about male characters. It's true. It's considered somehow more literary, in the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/a-female-writer-does-definitely-get-more-attention-if-she-writes/) [Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/) > [I'm very much, like, 'We've all got to help each other.' If there's a new female writer, I'm much more likely to read her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-pinborough/i-m-very-much-like-we-ve-all-got-to-help-each-other-if-there-s-a-new/) [Sarah Pinborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-pinborough/) > [I was the second female writer ever hired at 'Late Night.' When I applied for the job in 1988, I had no way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-scovell/i-was-the-second-female-writer-ever-hired-at-late-night-when-i/) [Nell Scovell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-scovell/) > [Fu\*k you squares, the circle got smaller. The castle got bigger, the walls got taller.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/fu-k-you-squares-the-circle-got-smaller-the-castle-got-bigger-the/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [I was wondering why cars got bigger as they got closer, then it hit me...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-wondering-why-cars-got-bigger-as-they-got-closer-then-it-hit-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Your pants didn't get smaller, Mommy," I assured her. "Your butt got bigger.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-korman/your-pants-didn-t-get-smaller-mommy-i-assured-her-your-butt-got-bigger/) [Gordon Korman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-korman/) > [I think that the better sign of an OG is when he's happy that the person that he raised got bigger than him and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-dash/i-think-that-the-better-sign-of-an-og-is-when-he-s-happy-that-the/) [Damon Dash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-dash/) > [I was standing in the park wondering why frisbees got bigger as they get closer. Then it hit me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-standing-in-the-park-wondering-why-frisbees-got-bigger-as-they/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I got bigger fish to fly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archie-bunker/i-got-bigger-fish-to-fly/) [Archie Bunker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archie-bunker/) > [I wasn't always black... there was this freckle, and it got bigger and bigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/i-wasn-t-always-black-there-was-this-freckle-and-it-got-bigger-and/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [I secured Big Jam through my buzz in the city. My name got bigger and bigger throughout my 1st year of rapping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/polo-g/i-secured-big-jam-through-my-buzz-in-the-city-my-name-got-bigger-and/) [Polo G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/polo-g/) > [Eventually I booked a 2-line role on a show called 'JAG' and slowly the parts got bigger and better. I'm very thankful that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-witwer/eventually-i-booked-a-2-line-role-on-a-show-called-jag-and-slowly-the/) [Samuel Witwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-witwer/) ## 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 Bigger quotes > [The bigger the canvas, the better I do. I'm not so good at understated, kitchen-sink kinds of parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/the-bigger-the-canvas-the-better-i-do-i-m-not-so-good-at-understated/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [In China, people are moving from bigger cars to small hatches, and interestingly, the Indian market is graduating to bigger cars and sedans. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winfried-vahland/in-china-people-are-moving-from-bigger-cars-to-small-hatches-and/) [Winfried Vahland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winfried-vahland/) > [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? The skeleton, very flexible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-murchie/can-you-imagine-any-better-example-of-divine-creative-accomplishment/) [Guy Murchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-murchie/) > [I just think structure can make a book feel so much bigger. It's the architecture. You could use flimsy materials if you wanted to,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jami-attenberg/i-just-think-structure-can-make-a-book-feel-so-much-bigger-it-s-the/) [Jami Attenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jami-attenberg/) > [I've always thought that the most extraordinary special effect you could do is to buy a child at the moment of its birth, sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-ve-always-thought-that-the-most-extraordinary-special-effect-you/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [Max—you have a bigger mission than finding the flock's parents. Focus on helping the whole world, not just your friends. I held my wings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/max-you-have-a-bigger-mission-than-finding-the-flock-s-parents-focus/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Sometimes people can write really great scenes and even a great episode, but they can't see the bigger picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-night-shyamalan/sometimes-people-can-write-really-great-scenes-and-even-a-great/) [M. Night Shyamalan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-night-shyamalan/) > [Never be too busy for the people you love. Never allow pursuits or possessions to become bigger priorities than your relationships. Love is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-willis/never-be-too-busy-for-the-people-you-love-never-allow-pursuits-or/) [Dave Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-willis/) > [If you consider yourself a part of the culture, then finances can't allow you to be bigger than the actual art form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-jackson/if-you-consider-yourself-a-part-of-the-culture-then-finances-can-t/) [Curtis Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-jackson/) > [If we get better our customers will demand we get bigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-truett-cathy/if-we-get-better-our-customers-will-demand-we-get-bigger/) [S. Truett Cathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-truett-cathy/) > [ Their \[the U.S.’s\] defense budget in absolute figures is almost 25 times bigger than Russia’s. This is what in defense is referred to as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/their-the-u-s-s-defense-budget-in-absolute-figures-is-almost-25-times/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [I think everyone has been annoyed at school or in their life, that's a type of bullying. So, you can take those feelings and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kodi-smit-mcphee/i-think-everyone-has-been-annoyed-at-school-or-in-their-life-that-s-a/) [Kodi Smit-McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kodi-smit-mcphee/) > [Athletes at all ages are bigger and stronger than ever before. And they are being encouraged - sometimes even incentivized, as we recently learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/athletes-at-all-ages-are-bigger-and-stronger-than-ever-before-and/) [Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/) [Browse all 3,614 Bigger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigger/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My world did not shrink because I was a black female writer. 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