--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: he cut through the 21st Century Gallery…" description: "\"he cut through the 21st Century Gallery, past the big plastic statues of Pluto and Mickey, animal headed gods of lost America\" — Philip Reeve" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/040/philip-reeve-13157_21st-century_he-cut-through-the-21st-century-gallery_209553.png" --- # he cut through the 21st Century Gallery, past the big… ![“he cut through the 21st Century Gallery, past the big plastic statues of Pluto and Mickey, animal headed gods of lost America” quote by Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/040/philip-reeve-13157_21st-century_he-cut-through-the-21st-century-gallery_209553.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/040/philip-reeve-13157_21st-century_he-cut-through-the-21st-century-gallery_209553.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/040/philip-reeve-13157_21st-century_he-cut-through-the-21st-century-gallery_209553.png) > “he cut through the 21st Century Gallery, past the big plastic statues of Pluto and Mickey, animal headed gods of lost America” [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The line describes a futuristic gallery filled with oversized, commercialized icons representing lost cultural heritage. **In simple terms:** A future city shows giant plastic statues of old American symbols. Key Takeaway Notice how commercialism reshapes cultural memory. Themes consumerism nostalgia urban decay culture loss Mood reflective critical Type observational commentary When to use this quote - city tours - museum curation - advertising - urban planning Key Concepts postmodernism hyperreality iconography Questions to Reflect On - How does commercial art affect collective memory? - What symbols should we preserve? A Different Perspective The description may romanticize decay without addressing its causes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Pluto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pluto/) ## Related quotes > [Never go to Pluto, it's a Mickey Mouse planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/never-go-to-pluto-it-s-a-mickey-mouse-planet/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) > [Six decades ago, as Mao's Communists seized power, the question in Washington was, 'Who lost China?' Now, as his capitalist descendants stand astride the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-liu/six-decades-ago-as-mao-s-communists-seized-power-the-question-in/) [Eric Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-liu/) > [I believe that we are lost here in America, but I believe we shall be found. And this belief, which mounts now to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-wolfe/i-believe-that-we-are-lost-here-in-america-but-i-believe-we-shall-be/) [Thomas Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-wolfe/) > [I've quoted Lost in America several times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-tunney/i-ve-quoted-lost-in-america-several-times/) [Robin Tunney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-tunney/) > [Hinkley will be a ghost town. It will be another town lost in America due to pollution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-brockovich/hinkley-will-be-a-ghost-town-it-will-be-another-town-lost-in-america/) [Erin Brockovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-brockovich/) > [Our first priority should be to protect the homeland. If we don't, a future generation might ask, 'Who lost America?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-beckel/our-first-priority-should-be-to-protect-the-homeland-if-we-don-t-a/) [Bob Beckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-beckel/) > [“Where are we going, Walt Whitman? The doors close in an hour. Which way does your beard point tonight? (I touch your book and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-ginsberg/where-are-we-going-walt-whitman-the-doors-close-in-an-hour-which-way/) [Allen Ginsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-ginsberg/) > [ If you were lost for America, there is nobody who could keep the army and the revolution \[going\] for six months. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-lafayette/if-you-were-lost-for-america-there-is-nobody-who-could-keep-the-army/) [Marquis de Lafayette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-lafayette/) > [“Nafasi yako peponi itapotea iwapo utamruhusu Pluto (kiongozi wa ahera) akukaribishe bazarai (makao makuu ya ahera) kwa kuchukua maisha yako mwenyewe. Kujiua ni kujipenda…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/nafasi-yako-peponi-itapotea-iwapo-utamruhusu-pluto-kiongozi-wa-ahera/) [Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/) > [The Stone trembled and threw herself outward bound, toward Saturn. In her train followed hundreds and thousands and hundreds of thousands of thousands of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-stone-trembled-and-threw-herself-outward-bound-toward-saturn-in/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“Pluto was part of their mental landscape, the one they had constructed to organize their thinking about the solar system and their own place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-brown/pluto-was-part-of-their-mental-landscape-the-one-they-had-constructed/) [Mike Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-brown/) > [Imagine we could accelerate continuously at 1 g-what we're comfortable with on good old terra firma-to the midpoint of our voyage, and decelerate continuously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/imagine-we-could-accelerate-continuously-at-1-g-what-we-re/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [It used to be said that Pluto is a misfit. But now we know Earth is the misfit. This is the most populous class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-stern/it-used-to-be-said-that-pluto-is-a-misfit-but-now-we-know-earth-is/) [Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) > [Of course Pluto is a planet: It's massive enough to have its shape controlled by gravity rather than material strength, which is the hallmark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-stern/of-course-pluto-is-a-planet-it-s-massive-enough-to-have-its-shape/) [Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) > [“I am Pluto. You can break me, reject me, and hurt me but I will never stop being a human being.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-sedlacek/i-am-pluto-you-can-break-me-reject-me-and-hurt-me-but-i-will-never/) Angelina Sedlacek ## More by Philip Reeve > [“She wanted to stop, but she was riding a wave of memory and it was carrying her backward to that night, that room, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/she-wanted-to-stop-but-she-was-riding-a-wave-of-memory-and-it-was/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [“Its a town eat town world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/its-a-town-eat-town-world/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [“It will be all right, Tom. Wherever we go now, whatever becomes of us, we'll be together, and it will all be all right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/it-will-be-all-right-tom-wherever-we-go-now-whatever-becomes-of-us-we/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [“The Scriven men wore stack-heeled boots and pearl-studded evening coats; the ladies in their vast skirts looked like mythical creatures, half woman, half sofa.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/the-scriven-men-wore-stack-heeled-boots-and-pearl-studded-evening/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [“Oenone had found the chapel by accident, and was not certain what kept drawing her back to it. She was not a Christian. Few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/oenone-had-found-the-chapel-by-accident-and-was-not-certain-what-kept/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [“Uncle knows best.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/uncle-knows-best/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [“But the look on his face was so strange that I hadn't the heart to take his story away from him. He believed it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/but-the-look-on-his-face-was-so-strange-that-i-hadn-t-the-heart-to/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [“And isn't that what all boys want and all men, too? Just to be taken seriously?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/and-isn-t-that-what-all-boys-want-and-all-men-too-just-to-be-taken/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [Godshawk looked surprised, the way that people generally do when you ask them philosophical questions in shrubberies in the middle of the night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/godshawk-looked-surprised-the-way-that-people-generally-do-when-you/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [“Outside, Melliphant's ear flattened itself against the wood of the door like a pale slug.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/outside-melliphant-s-ear-flattened-itself-against-the-wood-of-the/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [“Waste not, want not’ is the Engineers’ motto, Miss. Properly processed human ordure makes very useful fuel for our city’s engines. And we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/waste-not-want-not-is-the-engineers-motto-miss-properly-processed/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [I don't travel much; I just stay at home and imagine weird places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/i-don-t-travel-much-i-just-stay-at-home-and-imagine-weird-places/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [Is it...dead?" asked Tom, his voice all quivery with fright. "A town just ran over him," said Hester. "I shouldn't think he's very well...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/is-it-dead-asked-tom-his-voice-all-quivery-with-fright-a-town-just/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [“The closest she had been to them was certain summer evenings when they had gone for picnics in the magravine's ice-barge -- simple family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/the-closest-she-had-been-to-them-was-certain-summer-evenings-when/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) > [“That's impossible,' said Fever, Engineerishly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/that-s-impossible-said-fever-engineerishly/) [Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) [Explore all 51 Philip Reeve quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/) ## More 21st century quotes > [The young people today are the 21st century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/the-young-people-today-are-the-21st-century/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [“You know it’s the 21st Century when someone TEXTS you from the washroom to ask you to bring them a roll of toilet paper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/comic-strip-mama/you-know-it-s-the-21st-century-when-someone-texts-you-from-the/) Comic Strip Mama > [“I am made of a thousand ghosts. Only you can shoot me down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-james/i-am-made-of-a-thousand-ghosts-only-you-can-shoot-me-down/) Bella James > [Like many others, I have deep misgivings about the state of education in the United States. Too many of our students fail to graduate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/like-many-others-i-have-deep-misgivings-about-the-state-of-education/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Undeniably, character does count for our citizens, out communities, and our Nation, and this week we celebrate the importance of character in our individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/undeniably-character-does-count-for-our-citizens-out-communities-and/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [The hope of Internet anarchists was that repressive governments would have only two options: accept the Internet with its limitless possibilities of spreading information,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/the-hope-of-internet-anarchists-was-that-repressive-governments-would/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [Maybe we need a tax credit for the poorest Americans to buy a laptop. Now, maybe that's wrong, maybe that's expensive, maybe we can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/maybe-we-need-a-tax-credit-for-the-poorest-americans-to-buy-a-laptop/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [The 20th century has been marked by cynicism, selfishness, greed, and the desire to please, all without changing the status quo. In the 21st…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/the-20th-century-has-been-marked-by-cynicism-selfishness-greed-and/) [Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [I firmly believe that the mission of religion in the 21st century must be to contribute concretely to the peaceful coexistence of humankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/i-firmly-believe-that-the-mission-of-religion-in-the-21st-century/) [Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/) > [Facebook, Twitter...Welcome to The 21st Century...Where Someone can stalk you without leaving the couch!..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/facebook-twitter-welcome-to-the-21st-century-where-someone-can-stalk/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Human Race is all over universe! And I am the first person to inform you. I am the most influential person of this decade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwani-kumar-ojha/human-race-is-all-over-universe-and-i-am-the-first-person-to-inform/) [Ashwani Kumar Ojha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwani-kumar-ojha/) > [Like the railroads that brought us together in the 19th century, these trails will bring us together in the 20th and 21st centuries. (at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/like-the-railroads-that-brought-us-together-in-the-19th-century-these/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [What I love about making albums in the 21st century is that so few people buy albums! I can make an album without any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/what-i-love-about-making-albums-in-the-21st-century-is-that-so-few/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) > [As a former Apollo astronaut, I think it's safe to say that SpaceX and the other commercial developers embody the 21st century version of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-schweickart/as-a-former-apollo-astronaut-i-think-it-s-safe-to-say-that-spacex-and/) [Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/) > [The computer provides the only way to give students a real foundation in 21st-century skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-negroponte/the-computer-provides-the-only-way-to-give-students-a-real-foundation/) [Nicholas Negroponte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-negroponte/) Browse all 771 21st century quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "he cut through the 21st Century Gallery, past the big plastic statues of Pluto and Mickey, animal headed gods of lost America", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Philip Reeve" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/he-cut-through-the-21st-century-gallery-past-the-big-plastic-statues/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "21st century" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/he-cut-through-the-21st-century-gallery-past-the-big-plastic-statues/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/040/philip-reeve-13157_21st-century_he-cut-through-the-21st-century-gallery_209553.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/040/philip-reeve-13157_21st-century_he-cut-through-the-21st-century-gallery_209553.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/040/philip-reeve-13157_21st-century_he-cut-through-the-21st-century-gallery_209553.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“he cut through the 21st Century Gallery, past the big plastic statues of Pluto and Mickey, animal headed…” — Philip Reeve", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Philip Reeve", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "he cut through the 21st Century...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/he-cut-through-the-21st-century-gallery-past-the-big-plastic-statues/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/he-cut-through-the-21st-century-gallery-past-the-big-plastic-statues/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```