Los angeles Quote by Joseph Hansen
““Los Angeles didn't get like this often. He hated it when it did. And this time it was holding on. It had been brutal at the cemetery three weeks ago. His father's nine widows had looked ready to drop. The savage light had leached the color from the flowers. The savage heat had got at the mound of earth from the grave even under its staring green blanket of fake grass. He'd stayed to watch the workmen fill the grave. The earth was dry. Even the sharp walls of the grave were dry. What the hell was he doing remembering that?””
About This Quote
Source Novel: “The Murder of the Century” by Joseph Hansen, 1975
The narrator reflects on death, grief, and the strange, almost surreal experience of watching a burial in a harsh environment.
In simple terms: He feels detached while confronting mortality.
Key Takeaway
Observe grief without being consumed.
Themes
mortality
grief
environment
detachment
Mood
somber
introspective
Type
literary
narrative
When to use this quote
- funeral rites
- heatwave
- personal crisis
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- Why does the narrator question his presence?
- How does environment shape mourning?
A Different Perspective
The setting intensifies emotional numbness, limiting empathy.
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