Cause and effect Quote by Cornell Woolrich
““There was a pause, while I fought against this other, lesser kind of death that was creeping over me - this death called strangeness, this snapping of all the customary little threads of cause and effect that are our moorings at other times. Slowly they all drew back from me step by step, until I was left there alone, cut off. ("All At Once, No Alice")””
About This Quote
Source Novel: All At Once, No Alice by Cornell Woolrich, 1945
The narrator feels isolated as familiar reality unravels, confronting an alien, unsettling death of meaning.
In simple terms: Feeling alone when normal life breaks down.
Key Takeaway
Embrace uncertainty and seek connection.
Themes
isolation
existential dread
reality shift
Mood
uneasy
reflective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal crisis
- creative writing
- mental health coping
- philosophical reflection
Key Concepts
nihilism
psychological horror
identity crisis
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you stay grounded when reality feels strange?
- What anchors keep you from feeling cut off?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may overstate emotional intensity for everyday setbacks.
![“…he is unlike the other customers. They sense it too, and look at him with hard eyes, eyes like little metal studs pinned into the white faces of young men [...] In the hush his entrance creates, the excessive courtesy the weary woman behind the counter shows him amplifies his strangeness. He…” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fa8/anonymous-1_america_he-is-unlike-the-other-customers-they-se_125637.jpg)
