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Park sang joon Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

The analyses of a text #2

The narrator recalls his adolescence.
He came to the local lawyer, Mr. Wickfield' house, which he boarded at as he went to a school, after a long time.
Mr. Wickfield's only daughter Agnes is his best friend and counselor.
Mr. Wickfield's partner Uriah Heep and his mother live with Mr. Wickfiled in Mr. Wickfiled's.
Uriah Heep had confided to the narrator that he was crazy for Agnes in London.

....................
'I will tell you what I should, under any other circumstances, as soon have thought of telling to - Jack Ketch.'
'To who, sir?' said Uriah, stretching out his neck, and shading his ear with his hand.
'To the hangman,' I returned. 'The most unlikely person I could think of,' - though his own face had suggested the allusion quite as a natural sequence. 'I am engaged to another young lady. I hope that contents you.'
'Upon your soul?' said Uriah.
I was about indignantly to give my assertion the confirmation he required, when he caught hold of my hand, and gave it a squeeze.
'Oh, Master Copperfield!' he said. 'If you had only had the condescension to return my confidence when I poured out the fulness of my art, the night I put you so much out of the way by sleeping before your sitting-room fire, I never should have doubted you. As it is, I'm sure I'll take off mother directly, and only too appy. I know you'll excuse the precautions of affection, won't you? What a pity, Master Copperfield, that you didn't condescend to return my confidence! I'm sure I gave you every opportunity. But you never have condescended to me, as much as I could have wished. I know you have never liked me, as I have liked you!'
[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]
1. I'd like to know if "upon your soul?" means "heartily?".
2. I'd like to know what "I put you so much out of the way" means.
3. I'd like to know what "I'll take off mother" means.
4. And I'd like to know what "and only too happy" means.
Thank you in advance for your help.
  

Top answer

1. ". The "upon your soul" part adds strength to the oath.

  • 1.
  • ".
  • The "upon your soul" part adds strength to the oath.
  • 2.
  • I greatly inconvenienced you.
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3 Answers
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1. It implies "Do you swear upon your soul that you are telling the truth?". The "upon your soul" part adds strength to the oath.

2. I greatly inconvenienced you.

3. It is not obvious to me what this means just from the excerpt. Has his mother been harrassing Copperfield in some way?
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Thank you, GPY, for yet another So very kind answer from you. Emotion: smile

3. Has his mother been harrassing Copperfield in some
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park sang joonShe watched Agnes and the narrator all the while for his son.
My guess, then, is that "I'll take off mother" means "I'll tell my mother to stop watching you".

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