Original artwork, not a still
It · 1986
We all float down here.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The cheerfulness is the horror. A clown in a drain makes it sound like a friendly club, and "float" turns an innocent word into a promise of drowning or worse. It became the shorthand for the novel and for both screen adaptations, and fans turn it into a creepy catchphrase at Halloween and on balloons.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for ItShow the scene
The scene is the opening of It, set in Derry, Maine, in 1957. During a rainstorm, six-year-old Georgie Denbrough sails a paper boat along the flooded street until it vanishes down a storm drain. Looking in, he meets a clown who introduces himself as Pennywise the Dancing Clown and, despite Georgie knowing he shouldn't talk to strangers, coaxes him to reach in for the boat. The clown tears off Georgie's arm and Georgie dies. Wikiquote lists "We all float down here" as Pennywise's line, placed in the first chapter's closing passage, just after the boat leaves the story.
Sources (2)
- Wikipedia: It (novel)plot summary, 1957-1958Reference checked
- Wikiquote: It (novel)Pennywise entryReference checked
Context reviewed