We all live in suspense, from day to day, from hour to hour; in other words, we are the hero of our own story.
Mary MccarthyRead
To care for the quarrels of the past, to identify oneself passionately with a cause that became, politically speaking, a losing cause with the birth of the modern world, is to experience a kind of straining against reality, a rebellious nonconformity that, again, is rare in America, where children are instructed in the virtues of the system they live under, as though history had achieved a happy ending in American civics.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques the tendency to cling to outdated causes and the challenges of nonconformity in a society that promotes complacency.
Mary McCarthy's quote reflects on the struggle of individuals who remain attached to causes that have been deemed failures in the face of modern realities. It highlights a sense of rebelliousness against a society that indoctrinates its youth to accept the status quo, suggesting that true understanding of history incorporates its complexities and contradictions rather than an oversimplified 'happy ending.'
Themes
PastQuarrelsNonconformityRealitySocietyHistory
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about social activism, this quote can be used to emphasize the importance of learning from history rather than ignoring it.
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