--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sad as it was that she did not know where…" description: "\"“Sad as it was that she did not know where her children were buried or what they looked like if alive, fact was she knew more about them than she knew ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bf/toni-morrison-271_children_sad-as-it-was-that-she-did-not-know-wher_2185555.jpg" --- # Sad as it was that she did not know where her children… ![“Sad as it was that she did not know where her children were buried or what they looked like if alive, fact was she knew more about them than she knew about herself, having never had the map to discover what she was like. Could she sing? (Was it nice to hear when she did?) Was she pretty? Was she a…” quote by Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bf/toni-morrison-271_children_sad-as-it-was-that-she-did-not-know-wher_2185555.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bf/toni-morrison-271_children_sad-as-it-was-that-she-did-not-know-wher_2185555.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bf/toni-morrison-271_children_sad-as-it-was-that-she-did-not-know-wher_2185555.jpg) > ““Sad as it was that she did not know where her children were buried or what they looked like if alive, fact was she knew more about them than she knew about herself, having never had the map to discover what she was like. Could she sing? (Was it nice to hear when she did?) Was she pretty? Was she a good friend? Could she have been a loving mother? A faithful wife? Have I got a sister and does she favor me? If my mother knew me would she like me?”” [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 narrator reflects on a sister’s lack of self‑knowledge and her yearning for identity through familial roles and acceptance. **In simple terms:** A sister doesn’t know herself, seeks identity via family. Key Takeaway Explore self‑discovery beyond others’ expectations. Themes identity family self‑knowledge acceptance gender Mood reflective melancholic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - family gatherings - therapy sessions - personal journals - genealogy research Key Concepts psychology existentialism role theory Questions to Reflect On - How does family perception shape self‑identity? - What steps can one take to map personal identity? A Different Perspective Self‑knowledge may be limited by external narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Faithful wife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faithful-wife/) [Good friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-friend/) [Loving mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loving-mother/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [...fact was she knew more about them than she knew about herself, having never had the map to discover what she was like. 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There is always some1 out there willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/relationships-why-can-t-they-be-easy-maybe-the-lies-the-cheating/) [Kevin Mccarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) > [“Like your marriage, everything in the universe is trying to find its orbit. In the midst of this constant readjustment, both partners should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ben-zehabe/like-your-marriage-everything-in-the-universe-is-trying-to-find-its/) [Michael Ben Zehabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ben-zehabe/) > [Thou slanting rain! Thou Hebe of the Skies, That pours out drink to Earth; thou faithful wife That with moist tears embraces her prone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-batchelder-greene/thou-slanting-rain-thou-hebe-of-the-skies-that-pours-out-drink-to/) [William Batchelder Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-batchelder-greene/) > [This was one of the greatest test of his faith he had ever experienced. The thought of deceiving the kind and faithful wife of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-f-whitney/this-was-one-of-the-greatest-test-of-his-faith-he-had-ever/) [Orson F. Whitney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-f-whitney/) ## 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? 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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 Buried quotes > [Palindrome as well. My sister's name is Hannah. Father liked word games. He was fourteen times World Scrabble Champion. When he died, we buried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/palindrome-as-well-my-sister-s-name-is-hannah-father-liked-word-games/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [A classic is like a hidden treasure. 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