Blackness Quote by Michel Leiris
““…It was this white garment of mourning which he still wore, the white mourning of surgical gowns so much more significant than black, since white is the colour of obliteration whereas black, far from being the colour of emptiness and nothingness, is much more the active shade which makes the deep and therefore dark substance of all things stand out, from the flight of despair whose magical blackness animates the blank parchment of the soul, to the supposedly sinister flight of the raven, whose croakings and cadaverous meals are but the joyful signs of physical metamorphoses, black as congelead blood or charred wood, but much less lugubrious than the deathly restfulness of white. Yet this desert whiteness did not rule out all subsequent possibilities, when it too would coagulate to form directions in blood and when it too would know the three congruences of putrefaction.””
About This Quote
Source Book: L'Âge d'homme by Michel Leiris, 1961
The passage contrasts white surgical gowns, symbolizing erasure and death, with black, which highlights depth and transformation, suggesting that both colors embody different aspects of mortality and change.
In simple terms: White erases; black reveals; both relate to death and change.
Key Takeaway
Recognize that endings can also be beginnings.
Themes
mortality
transformation
symbolism
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- hospital settings
- artistic reflection
- personal loss
- creative writing
Key Concepts
existentialism
color theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How does color influence your perception of loss?
- Can darkness be a source of insight?
A Different Perspective
White may also signify sterility, limiting emotional nuance.
