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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…” quote by Cornell Woolrich
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““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")””

Cornell Woolrich

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.

Key Takeaway

Seek help, not just distraction.

Themes

depression existential dread light vs. darkness mental health

Mood

melancholic reflective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

  • therapy sessions
  • creative writing
  • personal crisis

Key Concepts

psychology existentialism loneliness

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does the sunshine represent?
  • How can one find warmth beyond external light?
A Different Perspective

Light alone cannot cure deep sorrow.

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