Non-restrictive relative 'as'

Question

In order to successfully release himself from the control of his parents, a child must be secure in his parents' power, as represented by their loving authority.

1) Is 'as' a relative pronoun and is his parents' power an antecedent?
2) Is 'is' omitted before 'as'?
3) Can I omit the comma before 'as' without the change of the meaning?
4) Can I rephrase the above sentence like this ?
: In order to successfully release himself from the control of his parents, a child must be secure in his parents' power like it is represented by their loving authority.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Park sang joon · Accepted Answer

I want to revive this thread.

GPY · Answer

1) MW dictionary classifies this "as" as an adverb: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/as . It wouldn't surprise me at all if you found differing opinons. Sometimes (especially traditionally) "adverb" is used as a catch-all category for hard-to-classify words.

2) I don't think there is any need to assume that. The sentence does also work with "is", however, arguably with a hair-splittingly different nuance.

3) Probably. Again it seems a very hair-splitting question.

4) No.

The sentence as a whole does not make a great deal of sense to me.

Park sang joon · Answer

Thank you, GPY, for your valuable accounts.
But I cant't understand the point yet

I can treat 'as' phrase or cluase in my examples as three cases.
1) a relative clause
This means 'as' clause need the verb 'be' and the omitted subject is 'his parent's power'
2) a prepositional phrase
This means afeter 'as' the gerund 'being' is omitted
3) an adjective phrase
Here 'as' is an adverb and modify 'represented', expressing 'in the same degree'

I don't know whether a comma have an affect on deciding which structure is formed here - #1, #2, or #3.

Park sang joon · Answer

I would decide 'as' is an clause and that after as, it is omitted.
In order to successfully release himself from the control of his parents, a child must be secure in his parents' power, as (it is) represented by their loving authority.

I hope I am right

Non-restrictive relative 'as'

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