Cuss words Quote by Thomas Pynchon
““One morning Profane woke up early, couldn't get back to sleep and decided on a whim to spend the day like a yo-yo, shuttling on the subway back and forth underneath 42nd Street, from Times Square to Grand Central and vice versa. He made his way to the washroom of Our Home, tripping over two empty mattresses on route. Cut himself shaving, had trouble extracting the blade and gashed a finger. He took a shower to get rid of the blood. The handles wouldn't turn. When he finally found a shower that worked, the water came out hot and cold in random patterns. He danced around, yowling and shivering, slipped on a bar of soap and nearly broke his neck. Drying off, he ripped a frayed towel in half, rendering it useless. He put on his skivvy shirt backwards, took ten minutes getting his fly zipped and another fifteen repairing a shoelace which had broken as he was tying it. All the rests of his morning songs were silent cuss words. It wasn't that he was tired or even notably uncoordinated. Only something that, being a schlemihl, he'd known for years: inanimate objects and he could not live in peace.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Crying of Lot 49, Thomas Pynchon, 1966
A chaotic morning of mishaps illustrates how everyday objects can become sources of frustration and absurdity.
In simple terms: Small failures create a surreal day.
Accept life's absurdities.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- commuting
- personal grooming
- home routines
- unexpected obstacles
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you respond to minor daily setbacks?
- What does this chaos say about control?
Finding meaning in randomness can be elusive.