Her screenplays are often less comedies of manners

Question

What does the following sentence mean?Her screenplays are often less comedies of manners than profound struggles over the souls of young women.Does it point out that her screenplays also involve an element of comedies of manners but instead are more focused on the struggles of young women over the souls?Can it be 'comedy of manners' instead of 'comedies of manners'?

Avangi · Accepted Answer

Jackson6612Does it point out that her screenplays also involve an element of comedies of manners but instead are more focused on the struggles of young women over the souls?

Yes, that's the implication. Perhaps something in prior context suggested "comedies of manners."

In this sentence, "comedies" must be in the plural. (screenplays are comedies)
"Comedies of manner" might be possible, but "a comedy of manners" may be a fixed expression.
- in which case "comedies of manners" would be the plural.

Your sentence doesn't quite work. We must ask, "Instead of what?"

If we had the line which explains why we might be expected to think they are comedies of manners, perhaps we could contrive a better version.

But this doesn't affect the answer to your question.

Edit.

Well, maybe it's okay.

You are also very attractive, but instead you're more intelligent. (Naw, I don't think so.)

Jackson6612 · Answer

Avangi, thanks a lot for the guidance.

AvangiIn this sentence, "comedies" must be in the plural. (screenplays are comedies)
"Comedies of manner" might be possible, but "a comedy of manners" may be a fixed expression.

Yes, it is. I have checked it now.

AvangiYour sentence doesn't quite work. We must ask, "Instead of what?"

Were you referring to this sentence: Does it point out that her screenplays also involve an element of comedies of manners but instead are more focused on the struggles of young women over the souls??

Avangi · Answer

Jackson6612 Does it point out that her screenplays also involve an element of comedies of manners but instead are more focused on the struggles of young women over the souls??

yes. The "antecedent" of "instead" doesn't work.

Jackson6612Her screenplays are often less comedies of manners than profound struggles over the souls of young women.

We might expect [because of prior context] that her screenplays would be comedies of manners,
BUT INSTEAD [of that always being the main focus], they are often [MORE] focused on struggles.

profound struggles over the souls of young women
Incidently, you can't assume that the women whose souls we're talking about are the ones who are struggling.
The phrase is very vague about that.
It may be that several men are struggling amongst themselves over the souls of the women. It just doesn't specify. To my ear, it doesn't even imply!

(since you asked about the "meaning" of the sentence)

- A.

Jackson6612 · Answer

Avangi
Jackson6612 Does it point out that her screenplays also involve an element of comedies of manners but instead are more focused on the struggles of young women over the souls??

I see the problem now. I think the problem you are objecting to is missing "they" between "instead are" - it should have been 'instead they are'. But isn't "they" already understood, implied? Do we really need to mention it unless it's formal writing?

AvangiThe "antecedent" of "instead" doesn't work.

You used the "antecedent" in sense 2a?

antecedent

1. One that precedes another.

2.
a. A preceding occurrence, cause, or event. See Synonyms at http://www.thefreedictionary.com/cause.

b. antecedents The important events and occurrences in one's early life.

3. antecedents One's ancestors.

4. Grammar The word, phrase, or clause that determines what a pronoun refers to, as the children in The teacher asked the children where they were going.

[Am. Heritage English Dictionary]

Avangiprofound struggles over the souls of young women
Incidently, you can't assume that the women whose souls we're talking about are the ones who are struggling.
The phrase is very vague about that.
It may be that several men are struggling amongst themselves over the souls of the women. It just doesn't specify. To my ear, it doesn't even imply!

Or, it could be possible men and women are both struggling over the same but their end purpose differ.

What is the difference in meaning between th two?

1: It could be possible

2: It may be possible

First, I wrote "it could be men and women are both". But, then for some reason I just changed it to "it could be possible men and women are". Could you think of any explanation?

Avangi · Answer

Hi, Jackson.
I'll try to get back to you on this. My brain is not cooperating.

For "instead," think of two words: Jane went in Joan's stead.
Actually, I think 4. (the grammar usage) is closest to my intention. "Instead" means one thing in place of another, so you might say it works like a pronoun. The difference is that the replacement has a different meaning than the thing it replaces. "I want chocolate instead of vanilla."
Would you like vanilla? (reply) No, I'll have chocolate instead.

I'm calling "vanilla" the antecedent of "instead." There's probably a better way to put it, but I can't think of one offhand.

When you leave "instead" hanging like this, there needs to be something in prior context to explain "in whose stead"? - or "Instead of what?"

No, I'll have chocolate instead. (reply) Instead of what?
Instead of vanilla..

My objection to your original paraphrase is that we're really at a loss to answer the question, "Instead of what?"

(I have no problem with the "missing" they.)

“Does it point out that her screenplays also involve an element of comedies of manners but instead are more focused on the struggles of young women over the souls?”

You know instead of what, and I know; but the sentence doesn't seem to know.

Avangi · Answer

Can you answer the question in a clear way?

Instead of what??

You'd almost have to say, "Instead of being focused on the issues found in comedies of manners. . . "

"Issues" is not a good word. We assume it means "serious issues." Sometimes comedies don't have serious issues. But then again, sometimes they do.

Her screenplays are often less comedies of manners than profound struggles over the souls of young women.

I think the point of the original excerpt is that it contrasts two fundamentally different approaches - not simply two different subjects.
It contrasts what they are, not what they're about.

The answer to your original question is "yes." There is an element of "comedies of manners."
And that may be what we expect to see when we view the film.
And then we find that there's some kind of social or sociological message, and the focus seems to be more on this than on the comedy. (Most substantial works of art speak to us on more than one level.)

My complaint about your sentence was really intended as an aside, but I'm certainly willing to discuss it. It centers around your use of "instead." It needs to be "B instead of A," and there's no "A." We can reason out what "A" should be, but that doesn't satisfy the syntax or the semantics, or which ever one is offended.

- A.

Her screenplays are often less comedies of manners

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