---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mr. Blue's way of death was fitting. He…"
description: "\"“Mr. Blue's way of death was fitting. He had been utterly corrupted by America, and I find it proper that his carotid artery should have been severed b..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0e/frederick-exley-33559_death_mr-blue-s-way-of-death-was-fitting-he-ha_1519481.jpg"
---

#  Mr. Blue's way of death was fitting. He had been utterly…

![“Mr. Blue's way of death was fitting. He had been utterly corrupted by America, and I find it proper that his carotid artery should have been severed by flak from a jumbo-sized can of mentholated shave cream. Like James Joyce, who tried to bend and subjugate the ironmongery of the cosmos with words…” quote by Frederick Exley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0e/frederick-exley-33559_death_mr-blue-s-way-of-death-was-fitting-he-ha_1519481.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0e/frederick-exley-33559_death_mr-blue-s-way-of-death-was-fitting-he-ha_1519481.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0e/frederick-exley-33559_death_mr-blue-s-way-of-death-was-fitting-he-ha_1519481.jpg)

> ““Mr. Blue's way of death was fitting. He had been utterly corrupted by America, and I find it proper that his carotid artery should have been severed by flak from a jumbo-sized can of mentholated shave cream. Like James Joyce, who tried to bend and subjugate the ironmongery of the cosmos with words (wasn't it The Word Joyce was after?), Mr. Blue tried to undo the empyrean mysteries with Seedy and his red carpet, with his elevated alligator shoes, with the ardent push-ups he seemed so sure would make him outlast time's ravages, with his touching search for some golden pussy that would yield to his lips the elixir of eternal life. And like Joyce's Leopold Bloom, like Quixote, Mr. Blue had become the perennial mock-epic hero of his country, the salesman, the boomer who believed that at the end of his American sojourn of demeaning doorbell-ringing, of faking and fawning, he would come to the Ultimate Sale, conquer, and soar.””

[Frederick Exley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-exley/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A satirical critique of American consumerism and the hollow pursuit of fame, using exaggerated imagery to expose moral decay.

**In simple terms:** America’s greed corrupts identity and purpose.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and reject superficial success.

Themes

consumerism identity satire heroism corruption

Mood

cynical ironic critical

Type

satirical philosophical

When to use this quote

- political commentary
- media criticism
- personal reflection

Key Concepts

American Dream mock-epic existential absurdity

Questions to Reflect On

- How does satire reveal truth?
- What values are sacrificed for fame?

A Different Perspective

The humor may obscure the seriousness of the critique.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Eternal life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal-life/) [Red carpet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/red-carpet/)

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