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Rubenadriaan Posted 12 years ago
Vocabulary

Sentence meaning

Hi,

This sentence is from Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence. It's about Mrs Morel's approach to the marriage with her husband who is about her opposite (she being very moral/puritan etc.):

She could not be content with the little he might be; she would have him the much that he ought to be.

What is meant with 'have him' here? I know it's about Mrs Morel seeking to make him nobler, but can anybody elucidate what is meant in this sentence?

Thanks a lot!!
  

Top answer

'Would have him' i's a literary and somewhat old-fashioned way of saying emphatically that she wanted him to be the much that he ought to be. Here's a simpler example of the phrase. eg Tom is a good pianist, but his mother would have him be a great one.

— Clive

  • 'Would have him' i's a literary and somewhat old-fashioned way of saying emphatically that she wanted him to be the much that he ought to be.
  • Here's a simpler example of the phrase.
  • eg Tom is a good pianist, but his mother would have him be a great one.
  • She makes him practice for 10 hours very day.
  • The basic idea of your sentence is this.
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1 Answers
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'Would have him' i's a literary and somewhat old-fashioned way of saying emphatically that
she wanted him to be the much that he ought to be.

Here's a simpler example of the phrase.

eg Tom is a good pianist, but his mother w
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