Gould Quote by Joseph Mitchell
““Gould is a night wanderer, and he has put down descriptions of dreadful things he has seen on dark New York streets – descriptions, for example, of the herds of big gray rats that come out in the hours before dawn in some neighborhoods of the lower East Side and Harlem and unconcernedly walk the sidewalks. ‘I sometimes believe that these rats are not rats at all,’ he says, ‘but the damned and aching souls of tenement landlords.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: New York Magazine, 1960s, “The Gilded Age” collection
Mitchell likens rats in tenements to the tormented souls of landlords, suggesting urban decay reflects the moral decay of those who profit from it.
In simple terms: Rats symbolize landlords' suffering.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how neglect breeds suffering.
Themes
urban decay
social critique
metaphor
Mood
cynical
reflective
Type
literary
observational
When to use this quote
- housing policy
- urban renewal
- social services
- community activism
Key Concepts
existentialism
urban anthropology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we hold landlords accountable?
- What other symbols reveal urban suffering?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may oversimplify complex socioeconomic factors.
