--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They had stared at her with great…" description: "\"“They had stared at her with great uncomprehending eyes. Eyes that questioned nothing and asked everything. Unblinking and unabashed, they stared up at..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cae/toni-morrison-271_end-of-the-world_they-had-stared-at-her-with-great-uncomp_2016130.jpg" --- # They had stared at her with great uncomprehending eyes… ![“They had stared at her with great uncomprehending eyes. Eyes that questioned nothing and asked everything. Unblinking and unabashed, they stared up at her. The end of the world lay in their eyes, and the beginning, and all the waste in between.” quote by Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cae/toni-morrison-271_end-of-the-world_they-had-stared-at-her-with-great-uncomp_2016130.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cae/toni-morrison-271_end-of-the-world_they-had-stared-at-her-with-great-uncomp_2016130.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cae/toni-morrison-271_end-of-the-world_they-had-stared-at-her-with-great-uncomp_2016130.jpg) > ““They had stared at her with great uncomprehending eyes. Eyes that questioned nothing and asked everything. Unblinking and unabashed, they stared up at her. The end of the world lay in their eyes, and the beginning, and all the waste in between.”” [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’s gaze holds both the apocalypse and the promise, reflecting humanity’s paradoxical capacity for destruction and hope. **In simple terms:** Eyes can contain both ruin and renewal. Key Takeaway Seek meaning beyond surface appearances. Themes despair hope human nature Mood melancholic hopeful Type literary poetic When to use this quote - literary analysis - psychology - spiritual contemplation Key Concepts paradox existential reflection Questions to Reflect On - What does the “end of the world” symbolize? - How can we find hope in bleak visions? A Different Perspective Interpretation varies; may be overly poetic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [End of the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-of-the-world/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye/) [Lay Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lay-eyes-1341969/) [Stared End](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stared-end-819299/) [Unabashed Stared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unabashed-stared-3626160/) [Unblinking Unabashed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unblinking-unabashed-3626162/) [Uncomprehending Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncomprehending-eyes-3626161/) [Waste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waste/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“I stared at the end of my bed and the ghosts that fucking came every night. They ain’t real, I told myself. They ain’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tillie-cole/i-stared-at-the-end-of-my-bed-and-the-ghosts-that-fucking-came-every/) [Tillie Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tillie-cole/) > [“Even if I end up forgetting everything that happened up until now, no doubt I'll fall in love with you again the minute I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mizue-tani/even-if-i-end-up-forgetting-everything-that-happened-up-until-now-no/) [Mizue Tani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mizue-tani/) > [“Most women have only to lay eyes on you to want to be doing something for you so badly they can’t stand it ……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osamu-dazai/most-women-have-only-to-lay-eyes-on-you-to-want-to-be-doing-something/) [Osamu Dazai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osamu-dazai/) > [“Every time I lay my eyes on her the whole world just melts around me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilliana-anderson/every-time-i-lay-my-eyes-on-her-the-whole-world-just-melts-around-me/) [Lilliana Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilliana-anderson/) > [Don't ever squeeze a fighter's hand, man. You're doing good just to lay your eyes on me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/don-t-ever-squeeze-a-fighter-s-hand-man-you-re-doing-good-just-to-lay/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [“Iris lay there, her eyes closed, her golden hair spread on the pillow, half-turned toward him. She must've been exhausted to have fallen asleep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hoyt/iris-lay-there-her-eyes-closed-her-golden-hair-spread-on-the-pillow/) [Elizabeth Hoyt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hoyt/) > [“She lay there with her eyes closed, as if sleep were a shy creature that might venture out if she played dead. 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It was a vast, luminous dream in which his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/he-lay-back-with-his-eyes-shut-still-sodden-in-the-atmosphere-of-the/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [End-of-the-world stories tend to ring true. I've always been drawn to them, but as I wrote my own, I found surprising pleasure in creating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/end-of-the-world-stories-tend-to-ring-true-i-ve-always-been-drawn-to/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [People always wonder when the world is going to end. I believe that the world will end when everyone stops loving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nichole-fickes/people-always-wonder-when-the-world-is-going-to-end-i-believe-that/) [Nichole Fickes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nichole-fickes/) > [The end of the world is on people's minds. 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The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-tarde/is-it-necessary-to-recall-that-the-earth-is-not-infinite-and-that-our/) [Gabriel Tarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-tarde/) ## 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. 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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 End of the world quotes > [“Is it necessary to recall that the earth is not infinite, and that our civilization is close to having invaded all of it? The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-tarde/is-it-necessary-to-recall-that-the-earth-is-not-infinite-and-that-our/) [Gabriel Tarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-tarde/) > [“Will this generation be able to turn things around and learn a valuable lesson from all of this? I hope so, but I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-b-powell/will-this-generation-be-able-to-turn-things-around-and-learn-a/) [Aaron B. Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-b-powell/) > [The end of the world is on people's minds. We have the power to destroy or save ourselves, but the question is what do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-cage/the-end-of-the-world-is-on-people-s-minds-we-have-the-power-to/) [Nicolas Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-cage/) > [People always wonder when the world is going to end. I believe that the world will end when everyone stops loving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nichole-fickes/people-always-wonder-when-the-world-is-going-to-end-i-believe-that/) [Nichole Fickes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nichole-fickes/) > [End-of-the-world stories tend to ring true. I've always been drawn to them, but as I wrote my own, I found surprising pleasure in creating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/end-of-the-world-stories-tend-to-ring-true-i-ve-always-been-drawn-to/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [The end of the world begins the moment you die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/the-end-of-the-world-begins-the-moment-you-die/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [When I come home from work, if I just played a really good game and I'm on top of the world, I think changing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-cousins/when-i-come-home-from-work-if-i-just-played-a-really-good-game-and-i/) [Kirk Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-cousins/) > [When I wrote 'The Good Body,' I turned 40 and suddenly had this stomach. It seemed like the end of the world. Because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-ensler/when-i-wrote-the-good-body-i-turned-40-and-suddenly-had-this-stomach/) [Eve Ensler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-ensler/) > [Funerals and weddings were commonplace, and nothing could have been so interesting to them as the coming of the end of the world ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-eggleston/funerals-and-weddings-were-commonplace-and-nothing-could-have-been-so/) [Edward Eggleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-eggleston/) > [“Even my Buddhist friends have been feeling despair and when they go bad, you know the end is nigh.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/even-my-buddhist-friends-have-been-feeling-despair-and-when-they-go/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Let the end of the world be inside you, then you don't need to fear the end of the world out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/let-the-end-of-the-world-be-inside-you-then-you-don-t-need-to-fear/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [The planets survival has become so uncertain that any effort, any thought that presupposes an assured future amounts to a mad gamble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/the-planets-survival-has-become-so-uncertain-that-any-effort-any/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [Listen, we've drafted guys that wouldn't come in for workouts before. 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I would say it really does get better as you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginnifer-goodwin/oh-my-gosh-i-d-give-so-much-advice-to-a-younger-version-of-myself-i/) [Ginnifer Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginnifer-goodwin/) [Browse all 976 End of the world quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-of-the-world/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“They had stared at her with great uncomprehending eyes. Eyes that questioned nothing and asked everything. Unblinking and unabashed, they stared up at her. 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