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Mary McCarthy

Mary McCarthy Quotes

Author

Mary McCarthy was a prominent American author born on June 21, 1912, and passed away on October 25, 1989. Known for her incisive social criticism and nuanced portrayal of human nature, she is considered one of the most influential figures in 20th-century American literature.

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All Ifs Literature People Venice Men World Character Feels Kind Real Looks Behinds Believe Doe Europe Facts Hero Lying Mass Modern

Famous Mary McCarthy Quotes

“The relation between life and literature - a final antimony - is one of mutual plagiarism.”

Literature Relation Finals Mutual Plagiarism

Author:Mary McCarthy

“When an American heiress wants to buy a man, she at once crosses the Atlantic. The only really materialistic people I have ever met have been Europeans.”

People Men Want Has Beens Literature Mets Crosses Materialistic Heiress

Author:Mary McCarthy

“I'm afraid I'm not sufficiently inhibited about the things that other women are inhibited about for me. They feel that you've given away trade secrets.”

Feels Literature Given Secret Trade

Author:Mary McCarthy

“In science, all facts, no matter how trivial or banal, enjoy democratic equality.”

Matter Facts Science Literature Enjoy Democratic Equality Corny

Book:The humanist in the bathtub

Source: The humanist in the bathtub

“Liberty, as it is conceived by current opinion, has nothing inherent about it; it is a sort of gift or trust bestowed on the individual by the state pending good behavior.”

States Literature Individual Freedom Liberty Opinion Behavior Currents Inherent Good Behavior Pending

Book:On the contrary

Source: On the contrary

“The Crucifixion and other historical precedents notwithstanding, many of us still believe that outstanding goodness is a kind of armor, that virtue, seen plain and bare, gives pause to criminality. But perhaps it is the other way around.”

Way Giving Believe Kind Stills Literature Virtue Goodness Historical Pauses Outstanding Armor Precedent Crucifixion Criminality

Book:On the contrary

Source: On the contrary

“Every word she writes is a lie, including "and" and "the."”

Writing Funny Lying Literature Personality Including

Author:Mary McCarthy

“The theater is the only branch of art much cared for by people of wealth; like canasta, it does away with the brother of talk after dinner.”

People Doe Art Literature Wealth Brother Theater Dinner Branches

Author:Mary McCarthy

“Being abroad makes you conscious of the whole imitative side of human behavior. The ape in man.”

Men Humans Whole Literature Sides Behavior Conscious Human Behavior Apes

Book:Mary McCarthy: Novels 1963-1979

Source: Mary McCarthy: Novels 1963-1979

“I suppose everyone continues to be interested in the quest for the self, but what you feel when you're older, I think, is that - how to express this - you really must make the self.”

Thinking Feels Self Literature Quests

Author:Mary McCarthy

“The immense popularity of American movies abroad demonstrates that Europe is the unfinished negative of which America is the proof”

America Literature Europe Negative Proof Immense Popularity Unfinished American Movie

Author:Mary McCarthy

“Labor is work that leaves no trace behind it when it is finished, or if it does, as in the case of the tilled field, this product of human activity requires still more labor, incessant, tireless labor, to maintain its identity as a 'work' of man.”

Ifs Men Humans Doe Stills Literature Behinds Cases Fields Identity Products Activity Labor Finished Human Activity Incessant

Book:On the contrary

Source: On the contrary

About the Author

Born: June 21, 1912
Died: October 25, 1989
Known for: Author
Quotes: 139

Related Topics

Ifs Literature People Venice Men World Character Feels Kind Real Looks Behinds Believe Doe Europe Facts Hero Lying Mass Modern

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

The humanist in the bathtubRelated source material

On the contraryRelated source material

A Bolt from the Blue and Other EssaysRelated source material

Venice observedRelated source material

The company she keepsRelated source material

Mary McCarthy: Novels 1963-1979Related source material

Occasional proseRelated source material

The Stones of FlorenceRelated source material

Memories Of A Catholic GirlhoodRelated source material

Intellectual Memoirs: New York, 1936-1938Related source material

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