Take him through, hold on to love

Question

If Gump's journey took him through American history for  his tryst with the President, Khan's journey to meet the Prez takes him  through modern America post 9/11. Of course, both these men are  hardcore old-world romantics who hold on to love and do impossibly  sweet things for people they care for. Khan maybe  inspired by Gump but there's no denying that replacing everything Gump  stood for with everything Khan stands for is a masterstroke from Karan  Johar and writer Shibani Bhatija. There's bound to be an instant  connect with the West and this is a film the Americans need to see  simply because unlike Gump, Khan has a message for them: “My Name is  Khan and I am not a terrorist.”Gump could just  float around like a feather through the winds of change but in the post  9/11 world, Khan had to be an ambassador for Islam and show them that  Gump and Khan are not too different. They are the good guys.Could you please explain to me the emboldened parts?Source : http://beta.thehindu.com/arts/movies/article105910.ece

Mr Wordy · Accepted Answer

"took him through American history" = led him through a series of events or episodes that illustrated, explained or symbolised American history. (Similarly for "takes him through modern America".)

"hold on to love" = try to preserve the love between oneself and another person.

User_gary · Answer

Thanks Mr. Wordy.

Also I wonder what "led him through" means in your explanation.

Mr Wordy · Answer

User_gary
Also I wonder what "led him through" means in your explanation.

Hmm.

"led him" means "guided him on a particular course".

"through" indicates a journey from one end of something to the other end.

Does that help?

User_gary · Answer

Thanks a lot again Mr. Wordy.
But as you know I'm so stupid to understand it yet, I again failed to understand it. But I don't want to give it up as I feel "take through" is a common phrase and I must learn it.

So I think it would be better if you explain to me the meaning of the whole expressions "Khan's journey to meet President takes him through modern America post 9/11" instead of just "takes through". I will then try to grasp it.

Though I understand "Khan want to meet USA president to explain he is not a terrorist". But I wonder what they want to convey by adding "modern America post 9/11" in the sentence. I think here the phrase "take through" needs to be understood.

For a side note : I also know "modern America post 9/11" means "America after the 9/11 tower collapse by terrorists"

Mr Wordy · Answer

Suppose I'm telling you about my holiday in Europe. I might say "my journey took me through Switzerland". This means that I travelled across Switzerland, no doubt visiting various places along the way. OK so far?

In "Khan's journey to meet the President takes him through modern America post 9/11", the idea is similar, but the "journey" and the "places visited" are (probably) as much figurative as real. In other words, although actual travelling and actual places are no doubt involved, there is also the figurative sense of a journey of discovery or experience. On this journey, Khan experiences various things that are representative or symbolic of America post 9/11 (the contrast is with the Gump film that covered an earlier era in American history). In this way, Khan's journey "takes him through" modern America.

User_gary · Answer

Thanks a lot Mr. Wordy. It's indeed a fantastic explanation. Now I got it. You are great.

Respectfully
Gary

Take him through, hold on to love

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