Friday, March 3, 2017

Illustration through literature

Sar Shalom

I'd like to conduct a bit of a social experiment, the purpose of which will be revealed in a subsequent post. Below is a quote taken from literature. In the comments, try to identify what induced the speaker to utter that line. Those familiar with it please refrain.
"Oh! I should like to kick her stomach in for her!"

Update: In the comments, an issue was raised about the lack of context. A few lines from before that quote would somewhat parallel what I have in mind in posing this exercise without spilling the beans.
When I think that my daughters are going barefoot, and have not a gown to their backs! What! A satin pelisse, a velvet bonnet, boots, and everything; more than two hundred francs' worth of clothes! so that one would think she was a lady!

8 comments:

  1. What a lovely change of pace!

    Although, I have to say, "kick her stomach in"?

    Not very pleasant, now is it?

    Misogynist, in fact.

    Lessee, could be a violently psychotic husband or boyfriend upon discovering that she is pregnant with another man's child.

    Or, it could represent the intention to apply a radical new type of Heimlich maneuver.

    Or... I don't know!

    {Now I won't sleep tonight.}

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  2. Don't recognize it but sounds like a jealous woman to me. Has an awkward tone, possibly translated?

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  3. Sounds bad, but I really don't have enough information to make a judgment. I am always wary of out of context quotes unless they are themselves contextually definitive. With the information given I'm not even sure that "her" isn't an inanimate object or what the speaker means by "stomach."

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    Replies
    1. I'll state clearly that "her" is referring to a human female. Getting the "correct" answer not exactly the objective of the exercise.

      I'll provide some context in the main post that will hopefully support the objective without spoiling it.

      Delete
    2. O.K. Sar. Thanks for that.
      It sounds like the speaker is angry with someone. I have no idea what induced it, maybe a perception of ingratitude, or jealousy, or envy.

      Delete
  4. Now that you provided context, envy, obviously.

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  5. ok the new context triggered the piece in my mind so I'm out of the guessing I think

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