Razor's Edge by Somerset Maughm

Question

Eliott's manner, rather than his words, suggested that perhaps it was not quite the thing for the late Chester Bradley to have left the stately mansion and the broad acres he had inherited to enter an office, but the fact that he had amassed a fortune at least partly compenated for it.

*****

Hi,

This part is difficult to understand the meaning and structure of the sentence.

What does this one say?

What does the underlined "it" refer to?

Does it say that Chester Bradley did not left the mansion to enter an office but that he amassed a fortune to partly compensate for the mansion?

Pructus · Accepted Answer

This is the the text before and after the excerpted part........

I'm not sure whether you know, but about the middle of last century, when the Middle West began to be opened up, quite a number of Virginians, younger sons of good family, you know, were tempted by the lure of the unknown to leave the fleshpots of their native state. My brother-in-law's father, Chester Bradley, saw that Chicago had a future and entered a law office here. At all events he made enough money to leave his son very adequately provided for.'

Elliott's manner, rather than his words, suggested that perhaps it was not quite the thing for the late Chester Bradley to have left, the stately mansion and the broad acres he had inherited to enter an office, but the fact that he had amassed a fortune at least partly compensated for it.

Elliott was none too pleased when on a later occasion Mrs Bradley showed me some snapshots of what he called their 'place' in the country, and I saw a modest frame house with a pretty little garden, but with a barn and a cowhouse and hog pens within a stone's throw, surrounded by a desolate waste of flat fields. I couldn't help thinking that Mr Chester Bradley knew what he was about when he abandoned this to make his way in the city.

Avangi · Answer

pructusEliott's manner, rather than his words, suggested that perhaps it was not quite the thing for the late Chester Bradley to have left the stately mansion and the broad acres he had inherited to enter an office, but the fact that he had amassed a fortune at least partly compensated for it.

We might need more context to make it clear.

Is Bradley recently deceased?
If he's been long gone, why is Eliott still miffed about how he handled his affairs?

The piece seems to be saying that Eliott acts disgruntled because Bradley did not remain to manage the estate.

But which of them amassed a fortune?

I'd say "it" refers to Bradley's having done the wrong thing by "leaving to enter an office."

Pructus · Answer

Thanks, Avangi....

"the thing"... This means "the fact"?

MrPedantic · Answer

I would say the sequence of thought here was:

1. In the middle of the last century, some Virginians with inherited wealth nonetheless took jobs.

2. One such person, the deceased Chester B., had entered a law office.

3. Elliott does not approve of such behaviour: he thinks people who inherit wealth should look after their estates, etc.

4. However, the fact that Chester B. made a lot of money in his job partly compensates (in Elliott's view) for Chester's faux pas in leaving his estate to enter the world of commerce (as Avangi suggests).

Best wishes,

MrP

Avangi · Answer

AvangiI'd say "it" refers to Bradley's having done the wrong thing by "leaving to enter an office."

pructus"the thing"... This means "the fact"?

I'd say it means the act.
"To do the right/wrong thing" is sort of an idiom, referring to an action.

Thanks for the context, Pructus. Sorry I didn't see it before I posted.
My previous acquaintaince with Maughm has been limited to the short stories,
and I've found that one must pay attention.

It had not been clear that the point of view was the midwest (Chicago) and not the east (Virginia).

Likewise the relationship between Elliot and Chester Bradley had not been clear.

Especially, it was not clear whether C.B.'s act of abandonment was being viewed as an affront to propriety, or as an affront to Elliot - and which was to be compensated for it.

Is Maughm's reference to compensation a tongue-in-cheek jab at Elliot, whose interests are really selfish, though he pretends otherwise?

Pructus · Answer

Thanks so much, Avangi....

I've just begun this novel, so don't know much yet.

How about "the thing" here means, "the rght thing"?

In that case, the context seems to be clearer to me and also to be consistent with MrPedantic's explanation.

I wonder what your answer will be....

Avangi · Answer

pructusHow about "the thing" here means, "the right thing"?

Hi, pructus.
I expect you're referring to this statement of mine:

AvangiI'd say "it" refers to Bradley's having done the wrong thing by "leaving to enter an office."

And you're suggesting my statement might be changed to read:
I'd say "it" refers to Bradley's having done the right thing by leaving to enter an office.

Let me go back the source:
. . . . but the fact that he had amassed a fortune at least partly compensated for it.

For one thing, I see that I originally misinterpreted your question about "the fact."
You were asking if "it" at the end of this clause refers to "the fact" at the beginning of this clause.

No, it does not.
"The fact" is the subject of the clause. "Compensated" is the verb.
If "it" refers to "the fact," then we could say, "The fact compensated for the fact." (nonsense)

What is this fact?
There's a little clause within this clause which tells us: the fact that he had amassed a fortune

So this fact compensates for it.

But we still need to find out what "it" refers to. It has to be something earlier in the excerpt.

perhaps it was not quite the thing for the late Chester Bradley to have left the stately mansion

Elliot feels that (perhaps) C.B. has done a bad thing here by leaving.

This bad thing is what the "it" at the very end of your excerpt refers to.

He did a bad thing, but getting rich in the process made up for it.
Amassing a fortune (which he conveniently left to Elliot) made up for his bad thing (faux pas).

Getting back to my original statement ("it" refers to Bradley's having done the wrong thing),
I'm going to stick with "wrong."
When you asked if "it" referred to "the fact," I thought you meant "the fact that he did the wrong thing," and I replied that I thought it referred to the act.
The difference here is subtle: the fact that he did it VS. his act of doing it.

I suspect your reason for suggesting that I change "wrong" to "right" has to do with the word "not."
perhaps it was not quite the thing
"It was not the right thing" = "it was the wrong thing" = "he did the wrong thing."

"Not quite the thing" is an idiom. It's also an example of "understatement."
It means "not the right thing to do," or "the wrong thing to do."

Edit. How about "the thing" here means, "the right thing"?

When I read this question, I thought you were referring to "the thing" in my earlier post, not "the thing" in the original excerpt. I wasn't really sure which it was, but I now see that I guessed wrong. Sorry.

Yes, you may say, "perhaps it was not quite the right thing for (C.B. to have left.)"

Similarly, "This was definitely not the thing to do." = "This was definitely not the right thing to do."

Pructus · Answer

Hi, Avangi,

Thanks so much...

Investing some time into your explanation, I could understand the whole passage of Maughm very clearly.

Thank you again, and I feel that I should pay some money for your lecture.....

Pructus · Answer

Thanks a lot, MrPedantic....

Your explanation greatly helped me to get a clue....

Avangi · Answer

pructusshould pay some money

We're even! You help me by forcing me to better explain myself!

Razor's Edge by Somerset Maughm

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