Electric light Quote by Marguerite Sechehaye
““For me, madness was definitely not a condition of illness; I did not believe that I was ill. It was rather a country, opposed to Reality, where reigned an implacable light, blinding, leaving no place for shadow; an immense space without boundary, limitless, flat; a mineral, lunar country, cold as the wastes of the North Pole. In this stretching emptiness, all is unchangeable, immobile, congealed, crystallised. Objects are stage trappings, placed here and there, geometric cubes without meaning. People turn weirdly about, they make gestures, movements without sense; they are phantoms whirling on an infinite plain, crushed by the pitiless electric light. And I - I am lost in it, isolated, cold, stripped purposeless under the light.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Dark Country, 1935
Madness is portrayed as an alien, stark realm devoid of meaning, where reality is blinding and oppressive.
In simple terms: Madness feels like an empty, cold, meaningless world.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and confront the emptiness within.
Themes
madness
existential
perception
reality
Mood
somber
introspective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- mental health therapy
- creative writing
- philosophical contemplation
- artistic expression
Key Concepts
philosophical alienism
psychological alienation
light symbolism
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the “blinding light” symbolize?
- How can we find meaning in perceived emptiness?
A Different Perspective
The description may romanticize mental illness, overlooking lived experience.
![“[On writing more Sherlock Holmes stories.] ‘I don’t care whether you do or not,’ said Bram. ‘But you will, eventually. He’s yours, till death do you part. Did you really think he was dead and gone when you wrote “The Final Problem”? I don’t think you did. I think you always knew he’d be back. But…” quote by Graham Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ad6/graham-moore-18909_dead-and-gone_on-writing-more-sherlock-holmes-stories_158928.jpg)
