Outside-category in this particular sentence

Question

Hello:I am having difficulties figuring out which category and function the word "outside" has in this sentence taken from a short story by Nadine Gordimer:"He could no longer be an unnoticed presence in the house, outside her occupation with her work and the friends she made among the other junior employees, and her preoccupation in her leisure with the discotheque and cinema where the hand-holding and sex-tussles with local boys took place."I suppose I could take it as a preposition meaning "aside from" in which case I do not see the point of using a comma before it. I could also consider it an adverb as opposed to "in the house" and the comma would separate an enumeration, in which case I do not see clearly the "items" of the enumeration.The meaning would change dramatically, depending on which option you consider.Since I am not sure of any of them or any other interpretation possible, I would very much appreciate your help.Thanks and regards.

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

I am having difficulties figuring out which category and function the word "outside" has in this sentence taken from a short story by Nadine Gordimer:

"He could no longer be an unnoticed presence in the house, outside her occupation with her work and the friends she made among the other junior employees, and her preoccupation in her leisure with the discotheque and cinema where the hand-holding and ***-tussles with local boys took place."

I suppose I could take it as a preposition meaning "aside from" in which case I do not see the point of using a comma before it. I could also consider it an adverb as opposed to "in the house" and the comma would separate an enumeration, in which case I do not see clearly the "items" of the enumeration.The meaning would change dramatically, depending on which option you consider.

Since I am not sure of any of them or any other interpretation possible, I would very much appreciate your help.

I see it as a preposition.

He could no longer be an unnoticed presence outside (ie apart from, not included in) those other parts of her life.

The comma indicates that the writer wants the reader to pause briefly in order to reflect on what had been said, ie to absorb the interesting idea of 'an unnoticed presence'.

In addition, the absence of a pause would probably cause the reader to think that 'outside her occupation . . . . ' is an adjectival modification of 'house'. The reader would then read the rest of the sentence with that idea in mind, realize that it made no sense, and have to read it again and do his best to sort out the meaning. Easier for the writer to put a comma!

Clive

Anonymous · Answer

Yeah, I'd have to agree.
I'm not familiar with this use, but Ms Gordimer is from South Africa and who knows what they get up to down there.
I've read this sentence ten times, and I stilll don't get it.
She's busy with her work and leisure activities. How does that relate to "He could no longer be an unnoticed presence in the house?" I'm scratching my head over this one.
Hope your short story isn't full sentences like this.

The Linguist

Juliaines · Answer

You have been very helpful. So, just to be sure I really grab the meaning —because I always get a little mxed up with that "apart from" (*)

, it means he could no longer go unnoticed JUST in the house (he rented a room in the girl's family house), but not the same happened outside the house (as you say "in those other parts of her life") where he was not remembered or noticed by her?

(*) I see "apart from" means 1-except for, but also 2-in addition to

Thank you!!

Juliaines · Answer

You've made me laugh while trying to sort this sentence out

. This story will keep me posting!!!

Thanks

Clive · Answer

Hi,

When two people reply to you, it's a good idea to clarify who you are responding to. I assume it's me, in this case.

He could no longer be an unnoticed presence in the house, outside her occupation with her work and the friends she made among the other junior employees, and her preoccupation in her leisure with the discotheque and cinema where the hand-holding and ***-tussles with local boys took place."

So, just to be sure I really grab the meaning —because I always get a little mxed up with that "apart from" (*)

, it means he could no longer go unnoticed JUST in the house (he rented a room in the girl's family house), but not the same happened outside the house (as you say "in those other parts of her life") where he was not remembered or noticed by her?

You seem to be taking a literal meaning of 'outside' as meaning 'not inside the house'. That's not how I see it. Ms. Gordimer is is telling us that the woman has whay you might call her main world (my word) that consists of job, friends, disco, cinema, boys. The 'presence in the house' is not part of that world. It is outside it, figuratively speaking.

Clive

Outside-category in this particular sentence

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