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Taka Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

masquerade

After my mother and I saw "Star Wars" that day, I decided to stay and watch it a second time, and she left me there and took the subway home alone. I see now that this was a kind of rehearsal. I was saying, in effect, Come and see my future, Mom. Enact with me your parting from it. Here's the world of cinema and stories I'm using to survive your going—now go. How generous of her to play in this masquerade, if she knew.

http://chud.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-3549.html

Why 'masquerade'? What exactly is it compared to, and how?
  

Top answer

How generous of her to play in this fiction , if she knew. How generous of her to act in this stage play, in this representation of something other than what it seemed on the surface. The mother left the theatre, just as she would later leave life.

— CalifJim

  • How generous of her to play in this fiction , if she knew.
  • How generous of her to act in this stage play, in this representation of something other than what it seemed on the surface.
  • The mother left the theatre, just as she would later leave life.
  • In both cases, she leaves her daughter alone.
  • Leaving the theatre is the masquerade (the thing masked, hidden), if you will, for dying.
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11 Answers
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How generous of her to play in this fiction, if she knew.

How generous of her to act in this stage play, in this representation of something other than what it seemed on the surface.

The mother left the theatre, just as she would later leave life.
In both cases, she leaves her daughter alone.

Leaving the theatre is the masquerade (the thing masked, hi
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Oh, I forgot to post another question.

What do you think is omitted after 'if she knew'?
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CJ, could you please elaborate this part? I'm not sure I understand you perfectly.

CalifJim
Leaving the theatre is the masquerade (the thing masked, hidden) if you will, for dying.


Is it that in theatre people leaves without your knowledge, which is similar to his/her mother's unexpeceted death?
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If she knew that she acted in that masquerade, if she knew that she was going to die, I guess.
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Maybe "if she did indeed know that a 'masquerade' was in progress"; i.e. "if she was conscious of my little fictions".

MrP
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Is it that in theatre people leaves without your knowledge, which is similar to his/her mother's unexpected death?
No. Her mother left with her knowledge. And there was nothing unexpected about her death. To be more specific maybe I should have written

Her mother's leaving the theatre is the masquerade (representation)of her mother's dying.
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CalifJimHer mother left with her knowledge. And there was nothing unexpected about her death.

Right. That's why I am confused by the masquerade part, which I thought meant 'joining and leaving without one's knowledge' or something like that.

CalifJim
Her mother's leaving the theatre is the masquerade (r
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The author is using the second meaning below.

Main Entry: 1mas·quer·ade
Pronunciation: "mas-k&-'rAd
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French, from Old Italian dialect mascarada, from Old Italian maschera mask
1 a : a social gathering of persons wearing masks and often fantastic costumes b : a co
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CalifJimThe author is using the second meaning below.

2 : an action or appearance that is mere disguise or show


OK. Now I undeerstand why you said it was 'the thing masked, hidden'. Thank you.

But I'm still wondering why it's the same as 'representation', which, in my opinion, doesn't really have to do with t
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Now I understand what you meant by 'representation', CJ! Your 'representation' meant something like 'implication', a non-explicit manner of showing something, some sort of 'representation', right?

Thank you , CJ!
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