America Quote by Italo Calvino
“New York is perhaps the only place in America where you feel at the centre and not at the margins, in the provinces, so for that reason I prefer its horror to this privileged beauty, its enslavement to the freedoms which remain local and privileged and very particularized, and which do not represent a genuine antithesis.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino, 1972
The city offers a paradox of being both central and marginal, where its allure lies in its contradictions between horror and privileged beauty.
In simple terms: New York feels both central and marginal, mixing horror with privileged beauty.
Key Takeaway
Embrace the city's contradictions.
Themes
urban paradox
centrality
margins
beauty
horror
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- travel
- city living
- artistic inspiration
- social critique
Key Concepts
existentialism
urban studies
contradiction
Questions to Reflect On
- How does the city's duality shape personal identity?
- What does “horror” reveal about urban life?
A Different Perspective
The view may romanticize suffering and ignore systemic issues.
![“I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. [salutes]” quote by Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3d2/bill-hicks-970_america_i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumor_655.jpg)
