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In NY sensuality completely turns into sexuality - no objects for the senses to respond to, no beautiful river, houses, people. Awful smells of the street, and dirt... Nothing except eating, if that, and the frenzy of the bed.
Susan Sontag
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote reflects on the transformation of sensual experiences into a more primal sexuality, criticizing the lack of beauty in urban life.

Susan Sontag's quote highlights a stark observation about urban existence, particularly in New York City, where the rich layers of sensual experience are stripped away, leaving behind a raw and often unpleasant reality. She suggests that in such an environment, the essence of human experience becomes reduced to basic desires, losing its connection to the beauty and sensory richness that typically inspire deeper human interactions.

Themes

SensualitySexualityUrban LifeBeautyExperience

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can inspire a discussion at an urban art exhibition about the relationship between environment and human experience.

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Quote by Susan Sontag | QuoteProject