Cities Quote by Don DeLillo
““Cities were built to measure time, to remove time from nature. There’s an endless counting down, he said. When you strip away all the surfaces, when you see into it, what’s left is terror. This is the thing that literature was meant to cure.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: White Noise by Don DeLillo, 1985
Cities attempt to control time, but underlying terror remains; literature aims to heal that fear.
In simple terms: Cities measure time, hide terror; literature cures.
Key Takeaway
Seek truth beyond appearances.
Themes
time
city
terror
literature
Mood
introspective
serious
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- urban life
- reading
- philosophical reflection
Key Concepts
existentialism
modernism
Questions to Reflect On
- How does urban life affect your sense of time?
- What role does literature play in confronting fear?
A Different Perspective
Literature may not fully resolve existential dread.
![“Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs [Less Developed Countries]?... I think the economic logic behind dumping a load of toxic waste in the lowest wage country is impeccable and we should face up to that... I’ve always…” quote by Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ac4/lawrence-summers-16940_air_just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-wo_4703.jpg)
