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Hot weather opens the skull of a city, exposing its white brain, and its heart of nerves, which sizzle like the wires inside a lightbulb. And there exudes a sour extra-human smell that makes the very stone seem flesh-alive, webbed and pulsing.
Truman Capote
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote reflects on how intense heat reveals the hidden qualities and life of a city.

Truman Capote's quote poetically describes the transformative power of hot weather on a city, suggesting that elevated temperatures not only reveal the city's infrastructure but also its very essence and vitality. The imagery of a 'white brain' and 'heart of nerves' evokes a sense of the city as a living organism, animated by its inhabitants and environment, with a smell that transcends the ordinary and connects the reader to the raw, almost primal nature of urban life.

Themes

CityHeatUrbanLifeImagery

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about urban life and how it changes with the seasons.

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