--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: America is indeed a revelation, though…" description: "\"America is indeed a revelation, though not quite the one that was planned. Given a clean slate, man, it was hoped, would write the future. Instead, he ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/mary-mccarthy-2691_america_america-is-indeed-a-revelation-though-no_55151.png" --- # America is indeed a revelation, though not quite the one… ![“America is indeed a revelation, though not quite the one that was planned. Given a clean slate, man, it was hoped, would write the future. Instead, he has written his past.” quote by Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/mary-mccarthy-2691_america_america-is-indeed-a-revelation-though-no_55151.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/mary-mccarthy-2691_america_america-is-indeed-a-revelation-though-no_55151.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/mary-mccarthy-2691_america_america-is-indeed-a-revelation-though-no_55151.png) > “America is indeed a revelation, though not quite the one that was planned. Given a clean slate, man, it was hoped, would write the future. Instead, he has written his past.” [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects on America's unfulfilled promise, suggesting that instead of forging a new future, the nation is stuck replaying its historical patterns. **In simple terms:** America repeats its past rather than creating a new future. Key Takeaway History dominates present choices. Themes history progress national identity optimism disillusionment Mood reflective critical hopeful Type philosophical political observational When to use this quote - policy planning - civic education - public discourse Key Concepts historical determinism collective memory political expectation Practical Applications - strategic forecasting - civic engagement Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to write a future? - How can societies break cycles of the past? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [America Revelation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-revelation-769317/) [Clean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clean/) [Clean slate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clean-slate/) [Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given/) [Hoped Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hoped-write-394155/) [Man Hoped](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-hoped-769319/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Revelations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revelations/) [Slate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slate/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Write Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-future-280483/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written/) [Written Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written-past-769318/) ## Related quotes > [No where else in Christianity does the terrible or heroic name of Armageddon play such role as in America. Not even in the Revelation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-rgen-moltmann/no-where-else-in-christianity-does-the-terrible-or-heroic-name-of/) [Jürgen Moltmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-rgen-moltmann/) > [My father didn't think being an artist was a respectable or worthy goal for a man. He hoped I would see my way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-diebenkorn/my-father-didn-t-think-being-an-artist-was-a-respectable-or-worthy/) [Richard Diebenkorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-diebenkorn/) > [“He could have swept me into his arms, kissed my mouth in a fit of passion, and begged me to be his bride, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-baart/he-could-have-swept-me-into-his-arms-kissed-my-mouth-in-a-fit-of/) [Nicole Baart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-baart/) > [There are plenty of secondary characters that I had always hoped to write, but I don't know if it will ever happen. The way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-foster/there-are-plenty-of-secondary-characters-that-i-had-always-hoped-to/) [Lori Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-foster/) > [I told myself that if I hoped to write a book that helped people to take a good look at some of the names…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-west/i-told-myself-that-if-i-hoped-to-write-a-book-that-helped-people-to/) [Matthew West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-west/) > [My intent was to gain experience for fiction I eventually hoped to write. But there's no question I was drawn in by the hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-rachman/my-intent-was-to-gain-experience-for-fiction-i-eventually-hoped-to/) [Tom Rachman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-rachman/) > [ I'd always hoped to write the story as a novel, but there was a long period when the \[Bridget Jones's Baby: The Diaries\] movie… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/i-d-always-hoped-to-write-the-story-as-a-novel-but-there-was-a-long/) [Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) > [Usually a feeling of disappointment follows the book, because what I hoped to write is not what I actually accomplished. However, it becomes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-desai/usually-a-feeling-of-disappointment-follows-the-book-because-what-i/) [Anita Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-desai/) > [I get enjoyment out of writing, but I get absolutely no enjoyment out of rewriting, so I don't do much of it. The more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/i-get-enjoyment-out-of-writing-but-i-get-absolutely-no-enjoyment-out/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [I realized with Broadway everything written for black people is usually written in the past, and I'm kind of a contemporary guy. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/i-realized-with-broadway-everything-written-for-black-people-is/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [To be honest ,... we both made mistakes you were wrong, so was I. This realationship is not working between us. Now it's just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syoung/to-be-honest-we-both-made-mistakes-you-were-wrong-so-was-i-this/) [Syoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syoung/) > [The books one has written in the past have two surprises in store: one couldn't write them again, and wouldn't want to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/the-books-one-has-written-in-the-past-have-two-surprises-in-store-one/) [Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/) > [Language also encodes our past. We want to know who we are. To know who we are, we have to know who we used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrzej-wajda/language-also-encodes-our-past-we-want-to-know-who-we-are-to-know-who/) [Andrzej Wajda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrzej-wajda/) > [There's still a part of me that thinks I have to write a really good novel. I'm not trying to say I'm not happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/there-s-still-a-part-of-me-that-thinks-i-have-to-write-a-really-good/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [I do sometimes look back at things I've written in the past, and think, 'I just don't remember being the person who wrote that.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-do-sometimes-look-back-at-things-i-ve-written-in-the-past-and-think/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) ## More by Mary McCarthy > [From what I have seen, I am driven to the conclusion that religion is only good for good people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/from-what-i-have-seen-i-am-driven-to-the-conclusion-that-religion-is/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [In morals as in politics anarchy is not for the weak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/in-morals-as-in-politics-anarchy-is-not-for-the-weak/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [Yet friendship, I believe, is essential to intellectuals. 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I would also recommend the avoidance of credit cards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/be-truthful-and-pay-attention-i-would-also-recommend-the-avoidance-of/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [All ideas advanced to deal with the Florentine noise problem, the Florentine traffic problem, are Utopian, and nobody believes in them, just as nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/all-ideas-advanced-to-deal-with-the-florentine-noise-problem-the/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [The idea of Macbeth as a conscience-torm ented man is a platitude as false as Macbeth himself. Macbeth has no conscience. His main concern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/the-idea-of-macbeth-as-a-conscience-torm-ented-man-is-a-platitude-as/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) [Explore all 154 Mary McCarthy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. 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