0
Park sang joon Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
The analyses of a text #1
The narrator recalls his adolescence.
He is an apprentice for the lawyer Mr. Spenlow.
His grand aunt and her best friend came to London after her going bankrupt.
He encountered his best friend Agnes, who came to London to meet his grand aunt, came to his apartment with her.
After a while, Agnes' father, a local lawyer, Mr. Wickfield and his partner, Uriah Heap who had been his clerck, came to.
I opened the door, and admitted, not only Mr. Wickfield, but Uriah Heep. I had not seen Mr. Wickfield for some time. I was prepared for a great change in him, after what I had heard from Agnes, but his appearance shocked me.
It was not that he looked many years older, though still dressed with the old scrupulous cleanliness; or that there was an unwholesome ruddiness upon his face; or that his eyes were full and bloodshot; or that there was a nervous trembling in his hand, the cause of which I knew, and had for some years seen at work. It was not that he had lost his good looks, or his old bearing of a gentleman - for that he had not - but the thing that struck me most, was, that with the evidences of his native superiority still upon him, he should submit himself to that crawling impersonation of meanness, Uriah Heep. The reversal of the two natures, in their relative positions, Uriah's of power and Mr. Wickfield's of dependence, was a sight more painful to me than I can express. If I had seen an Ape taking command of a Man, I should hardly have thought it a more degrading spectacle.
He appeared to be only too conscious of it himself. When he came in, he stood still; and with his head bowed, as if he felt it.
[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]
1. I'd like to know what "I had seen of the cause" means.
2. I'd like to know if the nominal phrase "the reversal of the two natures" is apposition to the complete clauses "Uriah's of power and Mr. Wickfield's of dependence."
3. And I'd like to know why there is "and" before "with his head bowed."
Thank you in advance for your help.
He is an apprentice for the lawyer Mr. Spenlow.
His grand aunt and her best friend came to London after her going bankrupt.
He encountered his best friend Agnes, who came to London to meet his grand aunt, came to his apartment with her.
After a while, Agnes' father, a local lawyer, Mr. Wickfield and his partner, Uriah Heap who had been his clerck, came to.
I opened the door, and admitted, not only Mr. Wickfield, but Uriah Heep. I had not seen Mr. Wickfield for some time. I was prepared for a great change in him, after what I had heard from Agnes, but his appearance shocked me.
It was not that he looked many years older, though still dressed with the old scrupulous cleanliness; or that there was an unwholesome ruddiness upon his face; or that his eyes were full and bloodshot; or that there was a nervous trembling in his hand, the cause of which I knew, and had for some years seen at work. It was not that he had lost his good looks, or his old bearing of a gentleman - for that he had not - but the thing that struck me most, was, that with the evidences of his native superiority still upon him, he should submit himself to that crawling impersonation of meanness, Uriah Heep. The reversal of the two natures, in their relative positions, Uriah's of power and Mr. Wickfield's of dependence, was a sight more painful to me than I can express. If I had seen an Ape taking command of a Man, I should hardly have thought it a more degrading spectacle.
He appeared to be only too conscious of it himself. When he came in, he stood still; and with his head bowed, as if he felt it.
[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]
1. I'd like to know what "I had seen of the cause" means.
2. I'd like to know if the nominal phrase "the reversal of the two natures" is apposition to the complete clauses "Uriah's of power and Mr. Wickfield's of dependence."
3. And I'd like to know why there is "and" before "with his head bowed."
Thank you in advance for your help.
Top answer
park sang joon 1. I'd like to know what "I had seen of the cause" means. He had seen Uriah's unhealthy influence on Mr Wickfield, causing his poor condition.
- park sang joon 1.
- I'd like to know what "I had seen of the cause" means.
- He had seen Uriah's unhealthy influence on Mr Wickfield, causing his poor condition.
- park sang joon 2.
- I'd like to know if the nominal phrase "the reversal of the two natures" is apposition to the complete clauses "Uriah's of power and Mr.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
7 Answers
0
park sang joon1. I'd like to know what "I had seen of the cause" means.He had seen Uriah's unhealthy influence on Mr Wickfield, causing his poor condition.
park sang joon2. I'd like to know if the nominal phrase "the reversal of the two natures" is apposition to the complete clauses "Uriah's of power and Mr. Wickfield's of dependence."
00
Thank you, Mr. Micawber, for your so very helpful answer. 
1. I'd also like to know what "see of something" means.
2. I was
1. I'd also like to know what "see of something" means.
2. I was
00
1. The sentence, more fully laid out, would be: "...there was a nervous trembling in his hand, the cause of which [trembling] I knew, and had seen at work [when I was working with him]."
2. Yes. The natural relationship between the two men has been reversed, due to Wickfield's ill health. Wickfield used to be the commanding one and Heap the underling. Now, Heap is dominant and Wick
2. Yes. The natural relationship between the two men has been reversed, due to Wickfield's ill health. Wickfield used to be the commanding one and Heap the underling. Now, Heap is dominant and Wick
00
park sang joon1. I'd like to know what "I had seen of the cause" means.there was a nervous trembling in his hand, the cause of which I knew, and had for some years seen at work.
=
There was a trembling in his hand, and I knew the cause of the trembling, and I had seen the trembling for some years
00
Thank you, CalifJim, for your so very helpful answer.
1. I'd like to know if I can borrow the subject from a parenthesis as in
1. I'd like to know if I can borrow the subject from a parenthesis as in
00
CalifJim Three posts added while I was writing up mine.Slowcoach!
00
park sang joon1. I'd like to know if I can borrow the subject from a parenthesis as in "the cause of which I knew, and (I) had for some years seen at work."Yes. It's the only possible subject of "had seen" in any case.
CJ
0
Related Questions