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Rebecca West

Rebecca West Quotes

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Famous Rebecca West Quotes

“Destiny is another name for humanity's half-hearted yet persistent search for death. Again and again peoples have had the chance to live and show what would happen if human life were irrigated by continual happiness; and they have preferred to blow up the canals and perish of drought.”

IfsHumansShowsHappensHumanityNamesChanceHalfDestinyBlowHuman LifeLife And DeathAgain And AgainPersistentHeartedDroughtCanalsHalf Hearted
Book:Black lamb and grey falcon: a journey through Yugoslavia
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“If there is to be any romance in marriage woman must be given every chance to earn a decent living at other occupations. Otherwise no man can be sure that he is loved for himself alone, and that his wife did not come to the Registry Office because she had no luck at the Labour Exchange.”

IfsMenRomanceGivenChanceWifeOfficeLuckDecentLabourOccupationRomance In Marriage
Book:The young Rebecca: writings of Rebecca West, 1911-17
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“If ever peace is to be imposed on the world it will only be because a large number of men who could have taken part in the drill display by the Guards or Marines or at the Royal Tournament turn that strength and precision to the service of life.”

IfsMenWorldTurnsPeaceNumbersTakenDisplayRoyalMarineTournamentsPrecisionLarge NumbersDrills
Book:Black lamb and grey falcon: a journey through Yugoslavia
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“For some reason a nation feels as shy about admitting that it ever went forth to war for the sake of more wealth as a man would about admitting that he had accepted an invitation just for the sake of the food. This is one of humanity's most profound imbecilities, as perhaps the only justification for asking one's fellowmen to endure the horrors of war would be the knowledge that if they did not fight they would starve.”

IfsMenFeelsWarReasonWould BeHumanityFightingNationsWealthHorrorAskingProfoundEndureSakeAcceptedShyJustificationInvitationsAdmittingImbecilityHorror Of War
Book:The Strange Necessity: Essays and Reviews
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“Were I to go down into the market-place, armed with the powers of witchcraft, and take a peasant by the shoulders and whisper to him, 'In your lifetime, have you known peace?' wait for his answer, shake his shoulders and transform him into his father, and ask him the same question, and transform him in his turn to his father, I would never hear the word 'Yes,' if I carried my questioning of the dead back for a thousand years. I would always hear, 'No, there was fear, there were our enemies without, our rulers within, there was prison, there was torture, there was violent death.”

IfsYearsTurnsAsksFatherWaitingAnswersKnownEnemyThousandPrisonLifetimeViolentShouldersTortureShakesQuestioningRulersThousand YearsPeasantsWitchcraftViolent Death
Book:Black lamb and grey falcon: a journey through Yugoslavia
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