How can I interpret " feel too obviously" here
Hello,
I admire their polish -- their youth is already so accomplished that it seems absurd to speak of promise -- I marvel at the felicity of their style; but with all their copiousness (their vocabulary suggests that they fingered Roget's Thesaurus in their cradles) they say nothing to me: to my mind they know too much and feel too obviously; I cannot stomach the heartiness with which they slap me on the back or the emotion with which they hurl themselves on my bosom; their passion seems to me a little anaemic and their dreams a trifle dull.
From W. Somerset Maugham: The Moon and Sixpence
The excerpt can be read at http://www.literaturepage.com/read.php?titleid=moonandsixpence&abspage=8&bookmark=1
How can I interpret "feel too obviously"? I think "they know too much" means they know too many words. Perhaps "feel too obviously" means they have thoughts which are predictable. Am I correct?
Top answer
I take it to mean that they don't have enough control over their emotions and are too easily upset and offended. I have two reactions to this text. 1) Although this is quite an old text, you could say the same thing about today's youth.
- I take it to mean that they don't have enough control over their emotions and are too easily upset and offended.
- I have two reactions to this text.
- 1) Although this is quite an old text, you could say the same thing about today's youth.
- 2) This text was written in 1919 by Maugham, who was a highly praised author, but by today's standards it seems to me to be poorly structured and overly complex.
- Clive
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
I take it to mean that they don't have enough control over their emotions and are too easily upset and offended.
I have two reactions to this text.
1) Although this is quite an old text, you could say the same thing about today's youth.
2) This text was written in 1919 by Maugham, who was a highly praised author, but by today's standards it seems to me to be poorly structure
0
Related Questions