--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There has never been an American tragedy…" description: "\"There has never been an American tragedy. There have only been great failures.\" — F. Scott Fitzgerald" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f02/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_failure_there-has-never-been-an-american-tragedy_1311061.jpg" --- # There has never been an American tragedy. There have only… ![“There has never been an American tragedy. There have only been great failures.” quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f02/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_failure_there-has-never-been-an-american-tragedy_1311061.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f02/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_failure_there-has-never-been-an-american-tragedy_1311061.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f02/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_failure_there-has-never-been-an-american-tragedy_1311061.jpg) > “There has never been an American tragedy. There have only been great failures.” [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. America's history shows more large-scale failures than singular tragedies. **In simple terms:** America faces many failures, few tragedies. Key Takeaway Learn from past failures to improve future actions. Themes history national identity failure Mood inquisitive critical Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - policy analysis - education reform - public discourse Key Concepts political science sociology Questions to Reflect On - What defines a tragedy versus a failure? - How can failures be transformed into growth? A Different Perspective Some view tragedies as pivotal turning points. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Failures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failures/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Tragedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragedy/) ## Related quotes > [“Many great failures lead to the ultimate success”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-ngel-s-ez-guti-rrez/many-great-failures-lead-to-the-ultimate-success/) [Miguel Ángel Sáez Gutiérrez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-ngel-s-ez-guti-rrez/) > [We need some great failures. Especially we ever-successful Americans - conscious, intelligent, illuminating failures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lincoln-steffens/we-need-some-great-failures-especially-we-ever-successful-americans/) [Lincoln Steffens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-steffens/) > [It is frequently the tragedy of the great artist, as it is of the great scientist, that he frightens the ordinary man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-eiseley/it-is-frequently-the-tragedy-of-the-great-artist-as-it-is-of-the/) [Loren Eiseley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-eiseley/) > [Tragedy has the great moral defect of giving too much importance to life and death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-chamfort/tragedy-has-the-great-moral-defect-of-giving-too-much-importance-to/) [Nicolas Chamfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-chamfort/) > [Small successes are still successes; great failures are still failures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/small-successes-are-still-successes-great-failures-are-still-failures/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [The greatest successes grow out of great failures. In numerous instances the result is better that comes after a series of abortive experiences than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-hubbel-chapin/the-greatest-successes-grow-out-of-great-failures-in-numerous/) [Edwin Hubbel Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-hubbel-chapin/) > [“I am the servant of all great individuals and, alas, of all failures, as well. Those who are great, I have made great. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-covey/i-am-the-servant-of-all-great-individuals-and-alas-of-all-failures-as/) [Sean Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-covey/) > [Sometimes man needs great failures today to accomplish great successes tomorrow!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/sometimes-man-needs-great-failures-today-to-accomplish-great/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“American Tragedy: The Inside Story of the Simpson Defense,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-gilbert/american-tragedy-the-inside-story-of-the-simpson-defense/) Mike Gilbert > [I wanted to do a political film that is as nonpartisan as can be, because I wanted to do a story that was American.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-haggis/i-wanted-to-do-a-political-film-that-is-as-nonpartisan-as-can-be/) [Paul Haggis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-haggis/) > [I first read 'An American Tragedy' in college, and in my entire life I had never read anything so painful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-gottlieb/i-first-read-an-american-tragedy-in-college-and-in-my-entire-life-i/) [Robert Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-gottlieb/) > [An American tragedy in which we all have played a part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-r-ford/an-american-tragedy-in-which-we-all-have-played-a-part/) [Gerald R. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-r-ford/) > [“The Americans had a wide range of feelings about it, but there is no question about their bravery and patriotism. In the worst days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bowden/the-americans-had-a-wide-range-of-feelings-about-it-but-there-is-no/) [Mark Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bowden/) > [Yes, but another writer I read in high school who just knocked me out was Theodore Dreiser. I read An American Tragedy all in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/yes-but-another-writer-i-read-in-high-school-who-just-knocked-me-out/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [There is an American tragedy in which we all have played a part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-r-ford/there-is-an-american-tragedy-in-which-we-all-have-played-a-part/) [Gerald R. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-r-ford/) ## More by F. Scott Fitzgerald > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“There was a ripe mystery about it, a hint of bedrooms upstairs more beautiful and cool than other bedrooms, of gay and radiant activities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/there-was-a-ripe-mystery-about-it-a-hint-of-bedrooms-upstairs-more/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I want you to take a red-hot bath as hot as you can bear it, and just relax your nerves. You can read in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-want-you-to-take-a-red-hot-bath-as-hot-as-you-can-bear-it-and-just/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Tireless passion, fierce jealousy, longing to possess and crush-these alone were left of all his love for Rosalind; these remained to him as payment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/tireless-passion-fierce-jealousy-longing-to-possess-and-crush-these/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I found something! Courage--just that; courage as a rule of life and something to cling to always.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-found-something-courage-just-that-courage-as-a-rule-of-life-and/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Life is a series of successful gestures...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/life-is-a-series-of-successful-gestures/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Another dawn flung itself across the river; a belated taxi hurried along the street, its lamps still shining like burning eyes in a face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/another-dawn-flung-itself-across-the-river-a-belated-taxi-hurried/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“She plucked a twig and broke it, but she found no spring in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/she-plucked-a-twig-and-broke-it-but-she-found-no-spring-in-it/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“I'm one of those people who go through the world giving other people thrills but getting few myself except those I read into men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-m-one-of-those-people-who-go-through-the-world-giving-other-people/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [The Montana sunset lay between the mountains like a giant bruise from which darkened arteries spread across a poisoned sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-montana-sunset-lay-between-the-mountains-like-a-giant-bruise-from/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“You loved me too?" he repeated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/you-loved-me-too-he-repeated/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“He was good looking, "sort of distinguished when he wants to be", had a line, and was properly inconstant. In fact, he summed up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/he-was-good-looking-sort-of-distinguished-when-he-wants-to-be-had-a/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [What are you going to do? "Can't say - run for president, write -" "Greenwich Village?" "Good heavens, no - I said write -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/what-are-you-going-to-do-can-t-say-run-for-president-write-greenwich/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“The latter was considered a good fellow and a fine leader, until a year later, when he disappeared with a mess fund of eleven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-latter-was-considered-a-good-fellow-and-a-fine-leader-until-a/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And then one fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/it-eluded-us-then-but-that-s-no-matter-tomorrow-we-will-run-faster/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Explore all 1,568 F. Scott Fitzgerald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There has never been an American tragedy. 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