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The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teachers,—stern and wild ones,—and they had made her strong, but taught her much amiss.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Scarlet Letter

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Topic

Outsiders and outcasts

Author

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Source

The Scarlet Letter

Medium

Novel

Language

English

Time

1850 1850s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter: A Romance. Boston: Ticknor, Reed & Fields, 1850, ch. 18.

Current Citation

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter, edited by Brian Harding. Oxford University Press, 2009, ch. 18.

But what is the sense in forever speculating what might have happened had such and such a moment turned out differently? One could presumably drive oneself to distraction in this way.

Kazuo Ishiguro

The Remains of the Day

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Topic

Dwelling on the past

Author

Kazuo Ishiguro

Source

The Remains of the Day

Medium

Novel

Language

English

Time

1989 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Ishiguro, Kazuo. The Remains of the Day. Faber & Faber, 1989.

Why, America’s the only free nation on earth. Besides! Country’s too big for a revolution. No, no! Couldn’t happen here!

Sinclair Lewis

It Can't Happen Here

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Topic

America American politics Revolution

Speaker

Dr. Fowler Greenhill

Author

Sinclair Lewis

Source

It Can't Happen Here

Medium

Novel

Genre

Dystopian fiction

Language

English

Time

1935 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Lewis, Sinclair. It Can't Happen Here. Doubleday, Doran and Company, 1935, ch. 5.

My life has been a quest for knowledge and understanding, and I am nowhere near having achieved that. And it doesn’t bother me in the least.

Alex Trebek

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Topic

Seeking Curiosity Knowledge Wisdom

Author

Alex Trebek

Source

The Answer Is…

Genre

Autobiography and memoir

Language

English

Time

2020 2020s 21st century

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Trebek, Alex. The Answer Is... Simon & Schuster, 2020.

When I make a mistake, it's a beaut!

Fiorello La Guardia

More information about this quote

Topic

Mistakes Going for it

Speaker

Fiorello La Guardia

Language

English

Time

1976 1970s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Guardia, Fiorello La. Quoted in Patience and Fortitude, by William Manners. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1976.

Who would have thought my shrivel'd heart
Could have recover'd greennesse?

George Herbert

The Temple, Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations

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Topic

Healing

Author

George Herbert

Source

The Flower The Temple, Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1633 1630s 17th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Herbert, George. "The Flower." The Temple, Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations. Cambridge: University of Cambridge, 1633, st. 2.

Current Citation

Herbert, George. "The Flower." The Complete Poetry, edited by John Drury and Victoria Moul. Penguin Classics, 2015, st. 2.

I'm not going to make any compromise whatsoever.

Ariel Sharon

On relations with the Palestinians.

More information about this quote

Topic

Political compromise Israel-Palestine conflict

Author

Ariel Sharon

Source

Sunday Times

Medium

Newspaper

Language

English

Time

2001 2000s 21st century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Sharon, Ariel. The Sunday Times. 12 Aug. 2001.

There is more difference within the sexes than between them.

Ivy Compton-Burnett

Mother and Son

More information about this quote

Topic

Gender relations Men and women

Author

Ivy Compton-Burnett

Source

Mother and Son

Language

English

Time

1955 1950s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Compton-Burnett, Ivy. Mother and Son. Victor Gollancz/Julian Messner, 1955, ch. 10.

Civilization and profits go hand in hand.

Calvin Coolidge

More information about this quote

Topic

Civilization Capitalism American ethos

Speaker

Calvin Coolidge

Source

The Supports of Civilization

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1920 1920s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Coolidge, Calvin. "The Supports of Civilization." Amherst College Alumni Dinner. 27 Nov. 1920, New York, NY, USA.

Current Citation

Coolidge, Calvin. "The Supports of Civilization." The Price of Freedom: Speeches and Addresses. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1924.

Never underestimate the power of denial.

American Beauty

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Topic

Denial Delusion

Speaker

Ricky Fitts

Actor

Wes Bentley

Source

American Beauty

Medium

Film

Genre

Black comedy (film) Comedy drama (film) Black comedy Comedy drama

Language

English

Time

1999 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

American Beauty. Directed by Sam Mendes, Jinks/Cohen Company, 1999.

The sea is the land's edge also, the granite
Into which it reaches, the beaches where it tosses
It hints of earlier and other creation:
The starfish, the hermit crab, the whale's backbone;
The pools where it offers to our curiosity
The more delicate algae and the sea anemone.
It tosses up our losses, the torn seine,
The shattered lobsterpot, the broken oar
And the gear of foreigh dead men. The sea has many voices.

T.S. Eliot

Four Quartets

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Topic

Ocean and sea

Author

T.S. Eliot

Source

The Dry Salvages Four Quartets

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1941 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Eliot, T. S. "The Dry Salvages." New English Weekly, Feb. 1941.

This was another of our fears: that Life wouldn't turn out to be like Literature.

Julian Barnes

The Sense of an Ending

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Topic

Disappointment

Author

Julian Barnes

Source

The Sense of an Ending

Medium

Novel

Language

English

Time

2011 2010s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Barnes, Julian. The Sense of an Ending. Jonathan Cape/Alfred A. Knopf, 2011, ch. 1.

We are paternalists when we make someone act in his own interests.

Derek Parfit

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Topic

Paternalism

Author

Derek Parfit

Source

Reasons and Persons

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

English

Time

1984 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Parfit, Derek. Reasons and Persons. Oxford University Press, 1984.

Patience and tenacity of purpose are worth more than twice their weight of cleverness.

T.H. Huxley

More information about this quote

Topic

Tenacity Patience Persistence Perseverance

Speaker

T.H. Huxley

Source

On Medical Education

Medium

Speech

Language

English

Time

1870 1870s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Huxley, Thomas Henry. "On Medical Education." 1870, University College London, London, England, UK.

Current Citation

Huxley, Thomas Henry. "On Medical Education." Collected Essays. Vol. 3, Cambridge University Press, 2011.

But you realize every time you suit up, every time we go out, it's life or death. You roll the dice...and you deal with it.

The Hurt Locker

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Topic

Soldiers War

Speaker

Sergeant JT Sanborn

Actor

Anthony Mackie

Source

The Hurt Locker

Medium

Film

Genre

War (film) Thriller (film) War Thriller

Language

English

Time

2008 2000s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

The Hurt Locker. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, Voltage Pictures/Kingsgate Films/Grosvenor Park Media/Film Capital Europe Funds/First Light Productions, 2008.

The morning star always gets wonderful bright the minute before it has to go, doesn't it?

Thornton Wilder

More information about this quote

Topic

Mornings Stars

Author

Thornton Wilder

Source

Our Town

Medium

Play

Genre

Drama (play) Drama

Language

English

Time

1938 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Wilder, Thornton. Our Town. 22 Jan. 1938, McCarter Theatre, Princeton, New Jersey, USA, act 1.

Current Citation

Wilder, Thornton. Our Town: A Play in Three Acts. Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2020, act 1.

There is nothing perhaps more adverse to nature and reason than to hold in obedience remote countries and foreign nations in opposition to their inclination and interest.

Edward Gibbon

The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

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Topic

Anti-imperialism Imperialism

Author

Edward Gibbon

Source

The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

Genre

Historical literature

Language

English

Time

1781 1780s 18th century

Era

Age of Enlightenment

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Gibbon, Edward. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Vol. 3, London: Strahan & Cadell, 1781, ch. 49.

Current Citation

Gibbon, Edward. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire: Volumes 1-6. Vol. 3. Everyman's Library, 2010, ch. 49.

For Satan finds some mischief still
For idle hands to do.

Isaac Watts

Against Idleness and Mischief

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Topic

Idleness

Author

Isaac Watts

Source

Against Idleness and Mischief

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1715 1710s 18th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Watts, Isaac. "Against Idleness and Mischief." Divine Songs Attempted in Easy Language for the Use of Children. London: M. Lawrence, 1715, I. 11.

If revolution insists upon overturning established order, let other peoples make the tragic experiment. There is no place for it in America.

Warren G. Harding

Inaugural Address of Warren G. Harding

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Topic

Revolutionary politics Revolution

Speaker

Warren G. Harding

Source

Inaugural Address of Warren G. Harding Presidential inaugural address

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1921 1920s 20th century

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Harding, William G. "Inaugural Address." 4 Mar. 1921, East Portico, US Capitol Building, Washington, DC, USA.

What's past is prologue.

William Shakespeare

The Tempest

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Topic

Past as prologue Past and future The past

Speaker

Antonio

Author

William Shakespeare

Source

The Tempest

Medium

Play

Genre

Comedy (play)

Language

English

Time

1616 1610s 17th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Shakespeare, William. "The Tempest." Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. London: Edward Blount and William and Isaac Jaggard, 1623, act 2, sc. 1.

Current Citation

Shakespeare, William. "The Tempest." The Norton Shakespeare, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, et al., 3rd ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2015, act 2, sc. 1.