For every bad man and woman I have ever known, I have met…
““For every bad man and woman I have ever known, I have met . . . an overwhelming number of thoroughly clean and decent people who still believe in God and cherish high ideals, and it is upon the lives of these people that I base what I write. To contend that this does not produce a picture true to life is idiocy. It does. It produces a picture true to ideal life; to the best that good men and good women can do at level best. I care very little for the . . . critics who proclaim that there is no such thing as a moral man, and that my pictures of life are sentimental and idealized. They are! And I glory in them! They are straight, living pictures from the lives of men and women of morals, honor, and loving kindness. . . . Such a big majority of book critics and authors have begun to teach, whether they really believe it or not, that no book is true to life unless it is true to the worst in life.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The author argues that depicting ideal, moral lives is valid, even if critics demand only grim realism.
In simple terms: Idealistic portrayals are truthful to human potential.
Key Takeaway
Embrace moral ideals in storytelling.
Themes
morality
idealism
literature
criticism
human nature
Mood
reflective
inspirational
critical
Type
philosophical
literary
cultural
When to use this quote
- novel writing
- teaching
- public speaking
- media criticism
Key Concepts
ethical idealism
sentimentalism
realism
Questions to Reflect On
- Do we need both ideal and grim depictions?
- How do moral stories influence society?
A Different Perspective
Idealism may overlook harsh realities and limit empathy for suffering.