De Quincey's Slowness

Abstract

Much has been said about De Quincey's fascination with the speed and mobility of contemporary life. This essay argues that we need also to recognize an acute sense of slowness that develops alongside De Quincey's fascination with speed. Activities like walking and reading and the figure of the crocodile offer examples of slowness that complicate De Quincey's fixation with speed. Ultimately, this essay suggests that the fraught relationship between speed and slowness that colours De Quincey's experiences of media and mobility clarifies the emotional landscape of the ‘Confessions’, marked as it is by drawn-out affective experiences, including boredom, longing, and nostalgia.