The Story Of Mary MacLane (1902) By Mary MacLane

"People say of me, 'She's peculiar.' They do not understand me. If they did they would say so oftener and with emphasis."

Mary MacLane is a delectable character worthy of immense literary regard. Her portrayal, written at just nineteen years of age, yields such fascinating insights into the mind of one of history's more intriguing intellects.

"May I never, I say, become that abnormal, merciless animal, that deformed monstrosity - a virtuous woman."

Oh how peculiar, yet intoxicating "poor little Mary MacLane" is, with her eternal fascination and lust for the Devil, as well as her intense yearning for love and for an end to the torturous nothingness, of which her life was so characterised by.

"Some people say that beauty is a curse. It may be true, but I'm sure I should not have at all minded being cursed a little."

MacLane uses metaphors and poetry to effectively convey her inner turmoil and dissatisfaction - repetition is also one of her key tools, something she uses time and again to emphasise the tumultuous feeling she is expressing.

"Genius, apart from natural sensitiveness, is prone equally to unreasoning joy and to bitterest morbidness."

She is opinionated, bitingly self-aware and, most of all, unapologetic. She constructs a riveting portrayal of herself, filled with an abundance of relatable and poignant quotes. For someone so young, she had vast intellectual and emotional knowledge.

"The highest thing one can do in literature is to succeed in saying that thing which one meant to say. There is nothing better than that — to make the world see your thoughts as you see them."