--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had killed a big snake. I was now a big…" description: "\"I had killed a big snake. I was now a big fellow.\" — Willa Cather" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b7/willa-cather-634_bigs_i-had-killed-a-big-snake-i-was-now-a-big_1332829.png" --- # I had killed a big snake. I was now a big fellow. ![“I had killed a big snake. I was now a big fellow.” quote by Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b7/willa-cather-634_bigs_i-had-killed-a-big-snake-i-was-now-a-big_1332829.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b7/willa-cather-634_bigs_i-had-killed-a-big-snake-i-was-now-a-big_1332829.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b7/willa-cather-634_bigs_i-had-killed-a-big-snake-i-was-now-a-big_1332829.png) > “I had killed a big snake. I was now a big fellow.” [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Overcoming fear transforms identity, granting confidence and power. **In simple terms:** Killing a snake makes you feel strong. Key Takeaway Face fears to grow stronger. Themes courage transformation identity Mood reflective empowering Type personal literary When to use this quote - adventure - career change - personal challenges - creative work Key Concepts fear personal growth Questions to Reflect On - What fear have you faced that changed you? - How does confronting fear affect your self‑image? A Different Perspective Fear can also cause trauma if not processed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Snake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/snake/) [Snakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/snakes/) ## Related quotes > [“We were examining a big hole with two entrances. The burrow sloped into the ground at a gentle angle, so that we could see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/we-were-examining-a-big-hole-with-two-entrances-the-burrow-sloped/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [You have no idea how big the other fellow's troubles are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-c-forbes/you-have-no-idea-how-big-the-other-fellow-s-troubles-are/) [B. C. Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-c-forbes/) > [The government usually announces it killed a Big Terrorist 5 or 6 different times before they're dead - they're almost like cats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/the-government-usually-announces-it-killed-a-big-terrorist-5-or-6/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“We killed this big hairy thing and that big hairy thing. And that was our day. You know what I mean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-smith/we-killed-this-big-hairy-thing-and-that-big-hairy-thing-and-that-was/) [Andrew Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-smith/) > [“Voodoo Beer?” “In honor of Loa and Boa for chasing away death.” “That was a big snake, wasn’t it?”“It was a seriously large snake.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/voodoo-beer-in-honor-of-loa-and-boa-for-chasing-away-death-that-was-a/) [kresley cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/) > [“We also spent entire nights in bed and I told her my dreams. I told her about the big snake of the world that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/we-also-spent-entire-nights-in-bed-and-i-told-her-my-dreams-i-told/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [When the snakes out in that field begin to realize that if one of their members get out of line, it's going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/when-the-snakes-out-in-that-field-begin-to-realize-that-if-one-of/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“If you step in a nest of snakes, does it matter who bites you first?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/if-you-step-in-a-nest-of-snakes-does-it-matter-who-bites-you-first/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [Everyone must imagine his own snakes because no one else's snakes can ever be as awful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/everyone-must-imagine-his-own-snakes-because-no-one-else-s-snakes-can/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [I have had a lifelong phobia of snakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/i-have-had-a-lifelong-phobia-of-snakes/) [Jessica Savitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/) > [In neurotics, worm phobias are usually found as well as snake phobias.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-abraham/in-neurotics-worm-phobias-are-usually-found-as-well-as-snake-phobias/) [Karl Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-abraham/) > [The Devil is a Five-headed Snake, says the father. The son says, Nay, it's a Six-headed one. And then their hearts burn with hate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subramanya-bharathi/the-devil-is-a-five-headed-snake-says-the-father-the-son-says-nay-it/) Subramanya Bharathi > [“What is with these guys? Where's the thrill in watching snakes eat? I certainly didn't thrill in watching humans eat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-jennings/what-is-with-these-guys-where-s-the-thrill-in-watching-snakes-eat-i/) [Patrick Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-jennings/) > [People project a grey energy that is very destructive to weaken you, to drain you - just as the snake uses position to capture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/people-project-a-grey-energy-that-is-very-destructive-to-weaken-you/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) ## More by Willa Cather > [The end is nothing; the road is all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/the-end-is-nothing-the-road-is-all/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [Of all the bewildering things about a new country, the absence of human landmarks is one of the most depressing and disheartening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/of-all-the-bewildering-things-about-a-new-country-the-absence-of/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [Success is less interesting than struggle. There is great pleasure in the effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/success-is-less-interesting-than-struggle-there-is-great-pleasure-in/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [“I only knew the schoolbooks said he "died in the wilderness, of a broken heart." "More than him has done that," said Antonia sadly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/i-only-knew-the-schoolbooks-said-he-died-in-the-wilderness-of-a/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [“Have the last word ma'm," he said cheerfully. "It's a lady's privilege.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/have-the-last-word-ma-m-he-said-cheerfully-it-s-a-lady-s-privilege/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > ["More than him has done that," said Antonia sadly, and the girls murmured assent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/more-than-him-has-done-that-said-antonia-sadly-and-the-girls-murmured/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [Nothing mattered ... but writing books, and living the kind of life that made it possible to write them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/nothing-mattered-but-writing-books-and-living-the-kind-of-life-that/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [“Money and office and success are the consolations of impotence. Fortune turns kind to such solid people and lets them suck their bone in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/money-and-office-and-success-are-the-consolations-of-impotence/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [But she still had that something which fires the imagination, could still stop one's breath for a moment by a look or gesture that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/but-she-still-had-that-something-which-fires-the-imagination-could/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [“You remember how homesick I used to get, and what long talks we used to have coming from school? We've someway always felt alike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/you-remember-how-homesick-i-used-to-get-and-what-long-talks-we-used/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [“He placed this book in my grandmother's hands, looked at her entreatingly, and said, with an earnestness which I shall never forget, "Te-e-ach, te-e-ach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/he-placed-this-book-in-my-grandmother-s-hands-looked-at-her/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [The sincerity of feeling that is possible between a writer and a reader is one of the finest things I know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/the-sincerity-of-feeling-that-is-possible-between-a-writer-and-a/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [One realizes that human relationships are the tragic necessity of human life; that they can never be wholly satisfactory, that every ego is half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/one-realizes-that-human-relationships-are-the-tragic-necessity-of/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [Our tree became the talking tree of the fairy tale; legends and stories nestled like birds in its branches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/our-tree-became-the-talking-tree-of-the-fairy-tale-legends-and/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [“Isn’t it queer: there are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/isn-t-it-queer-there-are-only-two-or-three-human-stories-and-they-go/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) [Explore all 434 Willa Cather quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I had killed a big snake. 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