Like the collector, the photographer is animated by a passion that, even when it appears to be for the present, is linked to a sense of the past.
Susan SontagRead
AIDS occupies such a large part in our awareness because of what it has been taken to represent. It seems the very model of all the catastrophes privileged populations feel await them.
Interpretation
What this quote means
AIDS symbolizes the fears and anxieties of privileged societies regarding catastrophic events.
In this quote, Susan Sontag reflects on the impact of AIDS on public consciousness, suggesting that it serves as a representation of deeper fears held by privileged populations. The disease is seen not just as a medical issue but as an emblem of potential catastrophe, triggering anxieties about mortality and social decline, thus revealing much about societal values and fears.
Themes
AidsFearPrivilegeCatastropheAwareness
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about public health, one might use this quote to discuss societal reactions to diseases.
More from Susan Sontag
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Volume depends precisely on the writer's having been able to sit in a room every day, year after year, alone.
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It hurts to love. It's like giving yourself to be flayed and knowing that at any moment the other person may just walk off with your skin.
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