---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: These scenes, by the way, are not…"
description: "\"“These scenes, by the way, are not altogether a literary device - a means of summing up and making a knot of innumerable little threads. Innumerable th..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a33/virginia-woolf-49_scenes_these-scenes-by-the-way-are-not-altogeth_2915678.jpg"
---

#  These scenes, by the way, are not altogether a literary…

![“These scenes, by the way, are not altogether a literary device - a means of summing up and making a knot of innumerable little threads. Innumerable threads were there; still, if I stopped to disentangle, I could collect a number. But whatever the reason may be, I find that scene making is my…” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a33/virginia-woolf-49_scenes_these-scenes-by-the-way-are-not-altogeth_2915678.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a33/virginia-woolf-49_scenes_these-scenes-by-the-way-are-not-altogeth_2915678.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a33/virginia-woolf-49_scenes_these-scenes-by-the-way-are-not-altogeth_2915678.jpg)

> ““These scenes, by the way, are not altogether a literary device - a means of summing up and making a knot of innumerable little threads. Innumerable threads were there; still, if I stopped to disentangle, I could collect a number. But whatever the reason may be, I find that scene making is my natural way of marking the past.””

[Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Woolf describes scenes as a natural method to weave together many small memories into a coherent narrative of the past.

**In simple terms:** She uses scenes to tie together many memories.

Key Takeaway

Use scenes to organize your recollections.

Themes

memory storytelling structure reflection writing

Mood

reflective introspective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal memoir
- creative writing
- historical analysis

Key Concepts

Narrative technique memory consolidation

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you choose which moments to highlight?
- What is lost when you condense many events?

A Different Perspective

Scenes may oversimplify complex histories.

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[Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-process/)

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> [The fight scenes in 'The World's End' have a certain balletic quality to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-frost/the-fight-scenes-in-the-world-s-end-have-a-certain-balletic-quality/)

[Nick Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-frost/)

> [To this day I over prepare. I draw storyboards for every scene - chicken scratches so crude that they amuse and horrify the crew.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-stoltz/to-this-day-i-over-prepare-i-draw-storyboards-for-every-scene-chicken/)

[Eric Stoltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-stoltz/)

> [Deleted scenes are like in a middle gray zone. It's like, well, they're deleted because they're not good or you lost the battle and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neill-blomkamp/deleted-scenes-are-like-in-a-middle-gray-zone-it-s-like-well-they-re/)

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> [Throughout my career, when I was finished with the drawing for one film I would go up to the story department and help develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-davis/throughout-my-career-when-i-was-finished-with-the-drawing-for-one/)

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> [It's very unusual for scenes to be added for a character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-ehle/it-s-very-unusual-for-scenes-to-be-added-for-a-character/)

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> [Whole scenes of your life slip away forever if you don't put them down in ink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silas-house/whole-scenes-of-your-life-slip-away-forever-if-you-don-t-put-them/)

[Silas House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silas-house/)

## More by Virginia Woolf

> [Fatigue is the safest sleeping draught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/fatigue-is-the-safest-sleeping-draught/)

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[Explore all 1,872 Virginia Woolf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/)

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Browse all 376 Scenes quotes

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