“A city that pretends to be nothing but what it is, an enormous machine of exchange - of spectacle for money, of sensation for money, of money for more money, of pleasure for whatever be tomorrow's abstract cost.”

—  David Foster Wallace, book Consider the Lobster

Big Red Son, on Las Vegas, NV
Consider the Lobster (2007)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "A city that pretends to be nothing but what it is, an enormous machine of exchange - of spectacle for money, of sensati…" by David Foster Wallace?
David Foster Wallace photo
David Foster Wallace185
American fiction writer and essayist 1962–2008

Related quotes

Thornton Wilder photo

“The difference between a little money and no money at all is enormous…and the difference between a little money and an enormous amount of money is very slight.”

Thornton Wilder The Matchmaker

The Matchmaker (1954)

George Orwell photo

“That devastating omniscience! That noxious, horn-spectacled refinement! And the money that such refinement means! For after all, what is there behind it, except money? Money for the right kind of education, money for influential friends, money for leisure and peace of mind, money for trips to Italy. Money writes books, money sells them. Give me not righteousness, O Lord, give me money, only money.”

George Orwell book Keep the Aspidistra Flying

Source: Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1936), Ch. 1

Gertrude Stein photo

“But as they all say if we sell our home what will we have for it, money, and what is the use of that money, money goes and after it is gone then where are we, beside we have all we want, what can we do with money except lose it, money to spend is not very welcome, if you have it and you try to spend it, well spending money is an anxiety, saving money is a comfort and a pleasure, economy is not a duty it is a comfort, avarice is an excitement, but spending money is nothing, money spent is money non-existent, money saved is money realised…”

Gertrude Stein book Paris France

Source: Paris France (1940), p. 103

Henry Miller photo

“To walk in money through the night crowd, protected by money, lulled by money, dulled by money, the crowd itself a money, the breath money, no least single object anywhere that is not money, money, money everywhere and still not enough, and then no money or a little money or less money or more money, but money, always money, and if you have money or you don't have money it is the money that counts and money makes money, but what makes money make money?”

Henry Miller book Tropic of Capricorn

Tropic of Capricorn (1939)

“The real trouble is that money and money power now exceed their rightful use, to serve as a medium of exchange.”

Timothy Quill (1901–1960) Early Dáil member, cooperative organiser, agriculturalist

The Cork Co-Operator (1939)

Sophocles photo

“Money: There's nothing in the world so demoralizing as money.”

Sophocles (-496–-406 BC) ancient Greek tragedian

Source: Antigone, Line 295

Barbara W. Tuchman photo

“Money was the crux. Raising money to pay the cost of war was to cause more damage to 14th century society than the physical destruction of war itself.”

Barbara W. Tuchman book A Distant Mirror

Source: A Distant Mirror (1978), p. 81

L. Randall Wray photo

“Money as a medium of exchange becomes important when workers are paid in medium of exchange rather than in wage goods directly. Since wage goods constitute the majority of goods produced (particularly in the early stages of development), it is tempting (but misleading) to focus on exchanges and on money as a medium of exchange [like the neo-classicals]. Once capitalist production dominates the economy, money becomes universally important: money operates as a medium of exchange and money hoards provide a measure of security. However, production involves goods and services now in exchange for a promise to pay in the future. That is, money is involved in the production process because production is time-based and involves debt commitments. If one only focuses on the use of money in exchange or as a store of value, one ignores how money creation is inextricably related to time-based production in private property economies.”

L. Randall Wray (1953) American economist

Source: Money and Credit in Capitalist Economies, 1990, p. 10; Cited in Howard Stein. "Theories of institutions and economic reform in Africa." World Development 22.12 (1994): 1833-1849.

“Money costs too much.”

Ross Macdonald (1915–1983) Novelist

The Goodbye Look (1969)

Related topics