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Bigs Quote by Tennessee Williams

“The rest of my days I'm going to spend on the sea. And when I die, I'm going to die on the sea. You know what I shall die of? I shall die of eating an unwashed grape. One day out on the ocean I will die--with my hand in the hand of some nice looking ship's doctor, a very young one with a small…” quote by Tennessee Williams
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“The rest of my days I'm going to spend on the sea. And when I die, I'm going to die on the sea. You know what I shall die of? I shall die of eating an unwashed grape. One day out on the ocean I will die--with my hand in the hand of some nice looking ship's doctor, a very young one with a small blond moustache and a big silver watch. "Poor lady," they'll say, "The quinine did her no good. That unwashed grape has transported her soul to heaven.”

Tennessee Williams

About This Quote

Source Play: A Streetcar Named Desire, 1947

The speaker romanticizes death at sea, attributing it to a trivial cause, reflecting fatalism and poetic melancholy.

In simple terms: She imagines dying at sea from a simple cause, expressing fatalistic melancholy.

Key Takeaway

Embrace the poetic view of fate.

Themes

mortality sea poetry fatalism romanticism

Mood

melancholic reflective poetic

Type

literary dramatic philosophical

When to use this quote

  • sailing
  • illness
  • death
  • dreams
  • creative writing

Key Concepts

existentialism symbolism narrative voice

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does the sea symbolize for you?
  • How do trivial causes shape our narratives?
A Different Perspective

The vivid imagery may obscure realistic health concerns.

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