Biography

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Mary McCarthy emerged as a powerful voice among the New York intellectuals, lauded for her incisive critiques and compelling fictional narratives. Often remembered for her sharp wit and tumultuous relationships with her male peers, McCarthy set uncompromising standards in American literary criticism and fiction. Her legacy lies in her ability to dissect cultural norms and expose intellectual hypocrisy.

Formative Years

Mary Therese McCarthy's early life was shaped by the contrasting influences of her charming, yet troubled, father and her devoted mother. Raised in a secure environment in Seattle, her childhood was disrupted by the influenza pandemic during World War I, which claimed both her parents when she was just six years old. Uprooted from her familiar surroundings, she moved to Minneapolis under the care of relatives who misappropriated funds meant for her and her brother Kevin. McCarthy later recounted this unsettling period with a haunting clarity in her work, Memories of a Catholic Girlhood (1957).

Despite her hardships, McCarthy often romanticized her father's image, ignoring the flaws that were evident to others. At Vassar College, she displayed a solitary nature and a deep interest in literature, graduating in 1933 without notable distinction. Initially, she found work as a book critic for publications like The Nation and The New Republic. However, it wasn't until the mid-1930s, after a series of personal entanglements and a brief marriage to theater director Harold Johnsrud, followed by an affair with critic Philip Rahv, that she began to forge her distinct literary voice.

During this time, Rahv, particularly influential as one of the editors of The Partisan Review, played a mentorship role. The journal, initially pro-Soviet, had shifted to an anti-Stalinist stance, supporting modernist writers. In this intellectually charged environment, McCarthy developed her skills as a drama critic, drawing the attention of Edmund Wilson, a leading American literary critic, whom she later married. With Wilson’s backing, she penned her first novel, The Company She Keeps (1942), capturing the essence of a young bohemian intellectual woman.

McCarthy believed Rahv, despite his limitations in encouraging novelistic pursuits, held genuine affection for her, a rare quality among the men she attracted. While his influence was significant, McCarthy ultimately carved out her own path, distancing herself from the sectarian squabbles of New York's intellectual circles.

Significant Contributions

Mary McCarthy gained fame for her sharp critiques and her popular novel, The Group (1963), which explored the lives of eight Vassar graduates. Known for her biting reviews of films and plays, she maintained a formidable presence in the New York literary scene. Her skill in debunking the superficial aspects of American culture was widely admired.

By the late 1940s and 1950s, McCarthy's literary prowess was evident. Her marriage to Bowden Broadwater, which lasted from 1946 to 1961, provided fodder for her novel The Group. During this period, she authored three novels that showcased her critical understanding of American life. The Oasis (1949) depicted a satirical utopia created by intellectuals, revealing her insight into group dynamics. The Groves of Academe (1952) critiqued a women's liberal arts college, while A Charmed Life (1955) examined an artists' community plagued by destructive forces. Her fiction often highlighted the inability of intellectuals to maintain cohesive communities, suggesting that their intellectualism often eroded their humanity.

The Group stands as a testament to McCarthy's ability to capture social norms and the prevailing thoughts of her era. While ambitious in its attempt to portray a generation, it was criticized for lacking depth in character development. Biographer Carol Brightman posits that McCarthy excelled in memoirs like Memories of a Catholic Girlhood , where she could focus on a...

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character—herself—who evolved over time.

Brightman further notes that McCarthy often exaggerated real-life characters, combining traits to flesh them out in her fiction. However, she struggled to transcend these real-life models, failing to create characters independent of her own experiences. This authenticity, while providing a rich social history, limited her ability to craft truly transcendent fictional personas.

Critics argue that McCarthy's critical writings were more successful than her fiction, where her caustic style sometimes undermined the complexity of her characters. Her novels were often seen as lacking psychological depth, with characters manipulated to emphasize her critical points, leaving them sometimes unsympathetic.

Legacy and Influence

Despite the critiques, McCarthy's work as a cultural and political critic remains highly respected. Her theater reviews, compiled in Sights and Spectacles, 1937-1956 (1956) and Mary McCarthy’s Theatre Chronicles, 1937-1962 (1963), are noted for their discerning yet harsh assessments of American drama, often more engaging than the productions themselves.

Her later works, including Vietnam (1967), Hanoi (1968), and The Mask of State: Watergate Portraits (1974), showcase her courage in addressing contentious political issues. McCarthy was a staunch critic of U.S. governmental policies, notably against the Vietnam War, while returning to fiction with Cannibals and Missionaries (1979). This novel, which explores the dynamics of a hijacked group's interaction, metaphorically represented the political intricacies influencing human relationships. Similarly, Birds of America (1971) focused on generational discord, highlighting the tension between a mother and her son.

In her writings, McCarthy aimed to clarify values and expose falsehoods. Disillusioned with Marxism by the mid-1930s, she saw through the façade of Stalinist trials and rejected the communist promise of equality, positioning herself against intellectual dishonesty prevalent among many of her contemporaries.

Her travel writings, such as Venice Observed (1956) and The Stones of Florence (1959), reflect a more relaxed side of McCarthy, born from her extensive travels with her fourth husband, diplomat James West. Their marriage, marked by frequent travels, was a fulfilling partnership, despite McCarthy's restlessness and her controversial political stances during times like the Vietnam War.

Her final autobiographical works, How I Grew (1987) and Intellectual Memories (1993), continue her life story, though they lack the vitality of Memoirs of a Catholic Girlhood. Ideas and the Novel (1980) encapsulates her longstanding views on fiction as an intellectual tool.

Conclusion

Mary McCarthy defied the conventions of traditional feminism, seeking her own path in the urban intellectual and bohemian circles. While influenced by male mentors, she soon established her own independent perspectives on literature and politics. Although she disliked being labeled a "woman writer," her achievements inspired other women to transcend gender biases in a competitive literary domain.

By competing with and often surpassing her male counterparts, McCarthy demonstrated that women could retain their independence while deeply engaging with contemporary culture. Her unique perspective offered insights into group dynamics and intellectual societies. Her greatest contribution to women might be her example of fully participating in the cultural discourse of her time while maintaining her individuality.