Cynicism and naivety lie cheek by jowl in the American imagination; if the United States is one of the most venal nations on Earth, it is also one of the most earnestly idealistic.
Interpretation
The quote discusses the coexistence of cynicism and idealism in American culture.
Terry Eagleton's quote highlights the paradox within the American psyche, where a propensity for cynicism exists alongside a strong sense of idealism. He suggests that while the nation may exhibit ruthless tendencies, it is equally characterized by a sincere commitment to lofty ideals, reflecting the complex and often contradictory nature of the American spirit.
In practice
During a debate about American values, this quote could illustrate the complexity of national character.
Nations sometimes flourish by denying the crimes that brought them into being. Only when the original invasion, occupation, extermination or usurpation has been safely thrust into the political unconscious can sovereignty feel secure.
One side-effect of the so-called war on terror has been a crisis of liberalism. This is not only a question of alarmingly illiberal legislation, but a more general problem of how the liberal state deals with its anti-liberal enemies.
All communication involves faith; indeed, some linguisticians hold that the potential obstacles to acts of verbal understanding are so many and diverse that it is a minor miracle that they take place at all.
The New Testament is a brutal destroyer of human illusions. If you follow Jesus and don't end up dead, it appears you have some explaining to do. The stark signifier of the human condition is one who spoke up for love and justice and was done to death for his pains. The traumatic truth of human history is a mutilated body.
Capitalism will behave antisocially if it is profitable for it to do so, and that can now mean human devastation on an unimaginable scale. What used to be apocalyptic fantasy is today no more than sober realism.
Poetry is the most subtle of the literary arts, and students grow more ingenious by the year at avoiding it. If they can nip around Milton, duck under Blake and collapse gratefully into the arms of Jane Austen, a lot of them will.
Introduce a little anarchy, upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos. I’m an agent of chaos, and you know the thing about chaos? It's fair.
Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage._x000D_ Minds innocent and quiet take that for a hermitage:_x000D_ If I have freedom in my love, and in my Soul I am free,_x000D_ Angels alone, that soar above, enjoy such liberty.
My turning point was my pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. It was then that I, who had dedicated most of my life to penetrate the 'secrets' of the universe, realized that there are no secrets. Life is and will always be a mystery.
They all err - Muslims, Christians, Jews and Magians. There are two kinds of humans - the intelligent, who have no religion, and the religious, who have no intellect.
But who can remember pain, once it’s over? All that remains of it is a shadow, not in the mind even, in the flesh. Pain marks you, but too deep to see. Out of sight, out of mind.
There are thoughts which are prayers. There are moments when, whatever the posture of the body, the soul is on its knees.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.