Brooklyn Quote by Thomas Wolfe
““This is Brooklyn--which means ten thousand streets and blocks like this one. Brooklyn, Admiral Drake, is the Standard Concentrated Chaos No. 1 of the Whole Universe. That is to say, it has no size, no shape, no heart, no joy, no hope, no aspiration, no center, no eyes, no soul, no purpose, no direction, and no anything--just Standard Concentrated Units everywhere--exploding in all directions for an unknown number of square miles like a completely triumphant Standard Concentrated Blot upon the Face of the Earth.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe, 1957
The passage portrays Brooklyn as an endless, chaotic expanse lacking meaning or direction, emphasizing its overwhelming, impersonal nature.
In simple terms: Brooklyn is depicted as a boundless, directionless chaos.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the emptiness and seek personal purpose.
Themes
urban alienation
chaos
meaninglessness
identity
existentialism
Mood
melancholic
reflective
critical
Type
literary
philosophical
descriptive
When to use this quote
- city living
- commuting
- urban planning
- personal reflection
- creative writing
Key Concepts
modernism
urban critique
nihilism
Questions to Reflect On
- How does urban chaos affect personal identity?
- Can meaning be created in a seemingly directionless environment?
A Different Perspective
The description may overgeneralize and ignore Brooklyn’s cultural richness.
![“[...] however big our world is - in our hearts, our minds, and our outsized digital maps - the universe is even bigger. A depressing thought to some, but a liberating thought to me.” quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/574/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_psychology_however-big-our-world-is-in-our-hearts-o_633573.jpg)
