--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My father was the classic Puritan. Hold…" description: "\"My father was the classic Puritan. Hold the emotions in check. Keep up appearances.\" — Lee Marvin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54a/lee-marvin-20297_appearances_my-father-was-the-classic-puritan-hold-t_1362701.png" --- # My father was the classic Puritan. Hold the emotions in… ![“My father was the classic Puritan. Hold the emotions in check. Keep up appearances.” quote by Lee Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54a/lee-marvin-20297_appearances_my-father-was-the-classic-puritan-hold-t_1362701.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54a/lee-marvin-20297_appearances_my-father-was-the-classic-puritan-hold-t_1362701.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54a/lee-marvin-20297_appearances_my-father-was-the-classic-puritan-hold-t_1362701.png) > “My father was the classic Puritan. Hold the emotions in check. Keep up appearances.” [Lee Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-marvin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A Puritan father suppresses emotions, valuing stoic appearance over authenticity **In simple terms:** Emotional restraint for social image Key Takeaway Balance authenticity with social expectations Themes family emotions appearance Mood reflective conflicted Type cinematic psychological When to use this quote - parenting - mental health - career professionalism Key Concepts psychology social conformity Questions to Reflect On - How does emotional suppression affect relationships? - When is it appropriate to show vulnerability? A Different Perspective May ignore benefits of emotional expression; cultural variance ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appearances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appearances/) [Emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Puritan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puritan/) ## Related quotes > [Anti-Catholicism has always been the pornography of the Puritan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hofstadter/anti-catholicism-has-always-been-the-pornography-of-the-puritan/) [Richard Hofstadter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hofstadter/) > [The Puritan hated bear-baiting, not because it gave pain to the bear, but because it gave pleasure to the spectators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-puritan-hated-bear-baiting-not-because-it-gave-pain-to-the-bear/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Well's them who are under crosses, and Christ says to them, "Half Mine."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/well-s-them-who-are-under-crosses-and-christ-says-to-them-half-mine/) [Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/) > [The Puritans' sense of priorities in life was one of their greatest strengths. Putting God first and valuing everything else in relation to God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leland-ryken/the-puritans-sense-of-priorities-in-life-was-one-of-their-greatest/) [Leland Ryken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leland-ryken/) > [A cold and searching wind drives away all contagion, and nothing can withstand it but what has a virtue in it, and accordingly, whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-cold-and-searching-wind-drives-away-all-contagion-and-nothing-can/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [No doctrine is more excellent, or necessary to be preached and studied, than Jesus Christ, and him crucified.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flavel/no-doctrine-is-more-excellent-or-necessary-to-be-preached-and-studied/) [John Flavel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flavel/) > [We are … the un-proud non-possessors of objects whose chief substance is that of the transient symbol. Our Puritan fear of the love of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/we-are-the-un-proud-non-possessors-of-objects-whose-chief-substance/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [“A puritan may go to his brown-bread crust with as gross an appetite as ever an alderman to his turtle. Not that food which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-puritan-may-go-to-his-brown-bread-crust-with-as-gross-an-appetite/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The Puritan's idea of hell is a place where everybody has to mind his own business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/the-puritan-s-idea-of-hell-is-a-place-where-everybody-has-to-mind-his/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [It's impossible for a creative artist to be either a Puritan or a Fascist, because both are a negation of the creative urge. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-o-flaherty/it-s-impossible-for-a-creative-artist-to-be-either-a-puritan-or-a/) [Liam O'Flaherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-o-flaherty/) > [We think the Puritans always dressed in black and white, which they didn't. They loved very bright colors. And there were other differences in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlisle-floyd/we-think-the-puritans-always-dressed-in-black-and-white-which-they/) [Carlisle Floyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlisle-floyd/) > [The Puritans came to America to worship in their way and to force everybody else to do the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/the-puritans-came-to-america-to-worship-in-their-way-and-to-force/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [The Puritan sours his pleasures by disguising them as duties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/the-puritan-sours-his-pleasures-by-disguising-them-as-duties/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [It is the night-black Massachusetts legendry which packs the really macabre "kick". Here is material for a really profound study in group-neuroticism; for certainly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft/it-is-the-night-black-massachusetts-legendry-which-packs-the-really/) [H. P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft/) > [Let us look upon a crucified Christ, the remedy of all our miseries. His cross hath procured a crown, his passion hath expiated our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-charnock/let-us-look-upon-a-crucified-christ-the-remedy-of-all-our-miseries/) [Stephen Charnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-charnock/) ## More by Lee Marvin > [I know Chicago cops. They're tough. They have to be. The whole city would explode. It's like a bomb, Chicago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-marvin/i-know-chicago-cops-they-re-tough-they-have-to-be-the-whole-city/) [Lee Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-marvin/) > [As soon as people see my face on a movie screen, they knew two things: first, I'm not going to get the girl, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-marvin/as-soon-as-people-see-my-face-on-a-movie-screen-they-knew-two-things/) [Lee Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-marvin/) > [It was the Marines who taught me how to act. After that, pretending to be rough wasn't so hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-marvin/it-was-the-marines-who-taught-me-how-to-act-after-that-pretending-to/) [Lee Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-marvin/) > [A guy digging ditches or a plumber wiping joints - it solves problems, you know? You have to dig this hole so wide, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-marvin/a-guy-digging-ditches-or-a-plumber-wiping-joints-it-solves-problems/) [Lee Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-marvin/) > [If I have any appeal at all, it's to the fellow who takes out the garbage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-marvin/if-i-have-any-appeal-at-all-it-s-to-the-fellow-who-takes-out-the/) [Lee Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-marvin/) > [In school, I couldn't see any sense to reading, writing, and arithmetic. Sure, they kicked me out, but for trifles, like continual daydreaming and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-marvin/in-school-i-couldn-t-see-any-sense-to-reading-writing-and-arithmetic/) [Lee Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-marvin/) > [One of the good things about getting older is you find you're more interesting than most of the people you meet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-marvin/one-of-the-good-things-about-getting-older-is-you-find-you-re-more/) [Lee Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-marvin/) > [I know my career is going badly because I'm being quoted correctly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-marvin/i-know-my-career-is-going-badly-because-i-m-being-quoted-correctly/) [Lee Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-marvin/) > [After a sheltered life, I went the other way. I wanted to prove how tough I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-marvin/after-a-sheltered-life-i-went-the-other-way-i-wanted-to-prove-how/) [Lee Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-marvin/) > [If your house burns down, rescue the dogs. At least they'll be faithful to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-marvin/if-your-house-burns-down-rescue-the-dogs-at-least-they-ll-be-faithful/) [Lee Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-marvin/) > [The first day of 'Liberty,' I was hanging around waiting for Ford to come in. Everybody told me how tough he was and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-marvin/the-first-day-of-liberty-i-was-hanging-around-waiting-for-ford-to/) [Lee Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-marvin/) > [I love Marlon Brando. Never seem him bad, just less good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-marvin/i-love-marlon-brando-never-seem-him-bad-just-less-good/) [Lee Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-marvin/) > [I only make movies to finance my fishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-marvin/i-only-make-movies-to-finance-my-fishing/) [Lee Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-marvin/) > [I didn't get my hair cut for two movies, and it got a little long. I'm going back to a... not a crew cut.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-marvin/i-didn-t-get-my-hair-cut-for-two-movies-and-it-got-a-little-long-i-m/) [Lee Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-marvin/) > [It's important not to think too much about what you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-marvin/it-s-important-not-to-think-too-much-about-what-you-do/) [Lee Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-marvin/) [Explore all 31 Lee Marvin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-marvin/) ## More Appearances quotes > [I always feel like I've been slightly misunderstood. As a woman, you get judged for appearances or things like that I don't really care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lykke-li/i-always-feel-like-i-ve-been-slightly-misunderstood-as-a-woman-you/) [Lykke Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lykke-li/) > [I already know what things look like - I don't want description. People believe in appearances, and I don't believe in appearances at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-michals/i-already-know-what-things-look-like-i-don-t-want-description-people/) [Duane Michals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-michals/) > [When will we regard human beings as human beings? Why do we discuss someone's appearance? And when we can't find faults in appearances, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saba-qamar/when-will-we-regard-human-beings-as-human-beings-why-do-we-discuss/) [Saba Qamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saba-qamar/) > [“He "had developed a trick in college for speaking with authority. He believed that breaking his argument into numbers forced people to pay attention.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-had-developed-a-trick-in-college-for-speaking-with-authority-he/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The greatest weakness of all is the great fear of appearing weak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-benigne-bossuel/the-greatest-weakness-of-all-is-the-great-fear-of-appearing-weak/) Jacques Benigne Bossuel > [“The most important thing had always been what other people thought-appearances before herself or her family. And righteous about it. Time and again Matt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-keyes/the-most-important-thing-had-always-been-what-other-people-thought/) [Daniel Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-keyes/) > [Appearances are significant, and never more than in politics. You can always sway the crowd, provided you have a good story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/appearances-are-significant-and-never-more-than-in-politics-you-can/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [If it shuffles like a zombie, stinks like a zombie, and moans like a zombie, make sure it isn't your mom, then shoot it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/if-it-shuffles-like-a-zombie-stinks-like-a-zombie-and-moans-like-a/) [Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/) > [“She had told Kazan that she was bored with the roles she was playing because so many of them had been basically the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-randy-taraborrelli/she-had-told-kazan-that-she-was-bored-with-the-roles-she-was-playing/) [J. Randy Taraborrelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-randy-taraborrelli/) > [When I did '1,2,3,4' on 'Sesame Street' they'd rewritten the song and made it about counting. At first, I balked. I was like, 'Counting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/feist/when-i-did-1-2-3-4-on-sesame-street-they-d-rewritten-the-song-and/) [Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/feist/) > [In 1996 I was working on a play in New Orleans, and they needed a drag queen. I offered to play the role. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-del-rio/in-1996-i-was-working-on-a-play-in-new-orleans-and-they-needed-a-drag/) [Bianca Del Rio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-del-rio/) > [To reach Bergomi at the top of appearances for Inter in Europe gives me pride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-zanetti/to-reach-bergomi-at-the-top-of-appearances-for-inter-in-europe-gives/) [Javier Zanetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-zanetti/) > [You can be 19 or 20 and playing reserve team football, be able to say 'I played at,' say, 'Manchester United,' even though you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-doherty/you-can-be-19-or-20-and-playing-reserve-team-football-be-able-to-say/) [Matt Doherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-doherty/) > [There is no trusting appearances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/there-is-no-trusting-appearances/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [Outward appearances mean everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/outward-appearances-mean-everything/) [Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/) [Browse all 245 Appearances quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appearances/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My father was the classic Puritan. 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