Dark Quote by Cornell Woolrich
““There was nothing the matter out there. It was in here, with me. I decided I'd better go to work, maybe that would exorcise me. I fled from the room almost as though it were haunted. It was too late to stop off at a breakfast counter now. I didn't want any, anyway. My stomach kept giving little quivers. In the end I didn't go to work, either. I couldn't, I wouldn't have been any good. I telephoned in that I was too ill to come, and it was no idle excuse, even though I was upright on my two legs. I roamed around the rest of the day in the sunshine. Wherever the sunshine was the brightest, I sought and stayed in that place, and when it moved on I moved with it. I couldn't get it bright enough or strong enough. I avoided the shade, I edged away from it, even the slight shade of an awning or of a tree. And yet the sunshine didn't warm me. Where others mopped their brows and moved out of it, I stayed - and remained cold inside. And the shade was winning the battle as the hours lengthened. It outlasted the sun. The sun weakened and died; the shade deepened and spread. Night was coming on, the time of dreams, the enemy. ("Nightmare")””
About This Quote
Source Short Story: "Nightmare" by Cornell Woolrich, 1935
The narrator battles internal darkness, seeking light but finding it insufficient, symbolizing depression and existential dread.
In simple terms: Inner turmoil overwhelms attempts at relief.
Seek help, not just distraction.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- therapy sessions
- creative writing
- personal crisis
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the sunshine represent?
- How can one find warmth beyond external light?
Light alone cannot cure deep sorrow.