--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the thirties a whole school of…" description: "\"In the thirties a whole school of criticism bogged down intellectually in those agitprop, social-realistic days. A play had to be progressive. A number..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/edward-albee-1684_actor_in-the-thirties-a-whole-school-of-critic_884243.jpg" --- # In the thirties a whole school of criticism bogged down… ![“In the thirties a whole school of criticism bogged down intellectually in those agitprop, social-realistic days. A play had to be progressive. A number of plays by playwrights who were thought very highly of then - they were very bad playwrights - were highly praised because their themes were…” quote by Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/edward-albee-1684_actor_in-the-thirties-a-whole-school-of-critic_884243.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/edward-albee-1684_actor_in-the-thirties-a-whole-school-of-critic_884243.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/edward-albee-1684_actor_in-the-thirties-a-whole-school-of-critic_884243.jpg) > “In the thirties a whole school of criticism bogged down intellectually in those agitprop, social-realistic days. A play had to be progressive. A number of plays by playwrights who were thought very highly of then - they were very bad playwrights - were highly praised because their themes were intellectually and politically proper. This intellectual morass is very dangerous, it seems to me. A form of censorship.” [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) ## 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 criticizes the 1930s era when artistic works were judged mainly for political correctness, stifling genuine creativity. **In simple terms:** Political conformity limited true artistic value. Key Takeaway Prioritize artistic integrity over political agendas. Themes art politics creativity censorship Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - theatre production - literary criticism - educational curricula - media analysis Key Concepts ideological conformity critical standards Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance political relevance with artistic quality? - What criteria should truly define good art? A Different Perspective Such strict standards can also protect marginalized voices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Bad Playwrights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-playwrights-1082142/) [Censorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/censorship/) [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Criticism Bogged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism-bogged-1082145/) [Dangerous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Intellectual Morass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual-morass-1082143/) [Numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Plays Playwrights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plays-playwrights-1082144/) [Playwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playwright/) [Playwrights Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playwrights-thought-1082141/) [Progressive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progressive/) [Realistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realistic/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Theme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theme/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) ## Related quotes > [if there's a spirit world why don't the ghosts of dead artists get together and inhibit bad playwrights from tormenting first-nighters?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-atherton/if-there-s-a-spirit-world-why-don-t-the-ghosts-of-dead-artists-get/) [Gertrude Atherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-atherton/) > [The one living playwright I admire without any reservation whatsoever is Samuel Beckett. 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