What did gertrude stein mean when she said: "what is the question?" before she died?

Question

i think on her deathbed she asked "what is the answer" and when there's silence, she asked "then what is the question?", anyone know what she meant?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

She meant that by then she had explained all things that mattered enough for her to want to explain.

Source(s):

crake

Answer 2

ever read hitchhikers guide to the galaxy? in it he says that the answer to the universal question is 42. so what is the question, right? then you find out that if you know both at the same time the universe will explode. he was just making a joke, but he has a point.

Answer 3

I'm guessing there are several different ways one could interpret the quote. The way I'm reading it is that she asks for the meaning of/answer to life...the meaning of/answer to HER life without having ever asked the question during her life. I'm guessing that because she never thought about what her life was supposed to be until it was the time to answer the question...

In other words...I'm not really sure...but that's my guess.