Posts Tagged ‘tennessee williams’
Tennessee Williams: Buys & Buys
on Thursday, December 15, 2022Meaning of Tennessee Williams Money Quote: saying humans continue their purchasing and buying in the hope that it buys immortality. Tennessee Williams said:
“The human animal is a beast that dies and if he’s got money he buys and buys and buys and I think the reason he buys everything he can buy is that in the back of his mind he has the crazy hope that one of his purchases will be life everlasting! — Which it never can be…” — Tennessee Williams
In this quote, Tennessee Williams seems to be commenting on humanity’s relationship with wealth and material goods. Some key points:
- He describes humans as “beasts that die”, highlighting our mortality as animals.
- Williams notes that if one has money, the natural reaction is to “buy and buy and buy” constantly acquiring more possessions.
- However, he suggests this endless consumption is fueled by a “crazy hope” deep down that one of the purchases will somehow extend life forever and conquer death.
- Of course, Williams acknowledges that no material item can truly provide “life everlasting.” Money and possessions are finite and temporary.
Overall, the quote portrays an existential perspective on how the awareness of mortality may unconsciously drive society’s obsession with wealth accumulation and consumerism and the pursuit of permanence through acquiring things, even though this is ultimately a futile attempt to defy the natural order through commercial means.
Birthday: March 26, 1911 – Death: February 25, 1983
Tennessee Williams: Aging Accounts
on Tuesday, February 8, 2011Funny Money Quotes: poor teens are the norm, struggling college students are expected, new careerists begin to gain but by the time you are old – there is no escaping the need for cash reserves. Tennessee Williams said:
“You can be young without money but you can’t be old without it” — Tennessee Williams
Tennessee Williams seems to be acknowledging that while youth often provides opportunities to experience life without much financial security, advancing age makes money a virtual necessity. The quote suggests that when young, one can more easily take risks, pursue passions and get by with limited funds due to having physical strength, health and time on their side.
However, Williams implies that as the body and mind age, monetary resources become increasingly important for basic support and comforts and to avoid hardship. In essence, the message is that lacking wealth may be manageable during youthful years of independence, but financial stability becomes crucial for care, needs and quality of life in later stages of life when physical and mental faculties naturally decline.
Birthday: March 26, 1911 – Death: February 25, 1983