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Park sang joon Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
The analyses of a text #3
The protagonist, Philip, who was born with a club foot, moved in with his uncle Mr. Carey, the Vicar of Blackstable after his mother's death.
He goes to King's School at Tercanbury, where Mr. Perkins is the head master, is expected to go to Oxford to be ordained after graduation.
He wants to drop out of the school, go to Germany, and he got from the headmaster approval that he might drop out after Easter.
...........................
At last the breaking-up day came, and he went to Mr. Perkins to bid him good-bye.
.............................
"You know, driving things into the heads of thick-witted boys is dull work, but when now and then you have the chance of teaching a boy who comes half-way towards you, who understands almost before you've got the
words out of your mouth, why, then teaching is the most exhilarating thing in the world." Philip was melted by kindness; it had never occurred to him that it mattered really to Mr. Perkins whether he went or stayed. He was
touched and immensely flattered. It would be pleasant to end up his school-days with glory and then go to Oxford: in a flash there appeared before him the life which he had heard described from boys who came back to play in the O.K.S. match or in letters from the University read out in one of the studies. But he was ashamed; he would look such a fool in his own eyes if he gave in now; his uncle would chuckle at the success of the headmaster's ruse. It was rather a come-down from the dramatic surrender of all these prizes which were in his reach, because he disdained to take
them, to the plain, ordinary winning of them. It only required a little more persuasion, just enough to save his self-respect, and Philip would have done anything that Mr. Perkins wished; but his face showed nothing of his conflicting emotions. It was placid and sullen.
"I think I'd rather go, sir," he said.
[Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham]
1. I'd like to know what "you" refers to.
2. I'd like to know if "It" refers to "to end up his school-days with glory and then go to Oxford."
3. I'd like to know what "to the plain" means
4. And I'd like to know why it is "and," not "but."
Thank you in advance for your help.
He goes to King's School at Tercanbury, where Mr. Perkins is the head master, is expected to go to Oxford to be ordained after graduation.
He wants to drop out of the school, go to Germany, and he got from the headmaster approval that he might drop out after Easter.
...........................
At last the breaking-up day came, and he went to Mr. Perkins to bid him good-bye.
.............................
"You know, driving things into the heads of thick-witted boys is dull work, but when now and then you have the chance of teaching a boy who comes half-way towards you, who understands almost before you've got the
words out of your mouth, why, then teaching is the most exhilarating thing in the world." Philip was melted by kindness; it had never occurred to him that it mattered really to Mr. Perkins whether he went or stayed. He was
touched and immensely flattered. It would be pleasant to end up his school-days with glory and then go to Oxford: in a flash there appeared before him the life which he had heard described from boys who came back to play in the O.K.S. match or in letters from the University read out in one of the studies. But he was ashamed; he would look such a fool in his own eyes if he gave in now; his uncle would chuckle at the success of the headmaster's ruse. It was rather a come-down from the dramatic surrender of all these prizes which were in his reach, because he disdained to take
them, to the plain, ordinary winning of them. It only required a little more persuasion, just enough to save his self-respect, and Philip would have done anything that Mr. Perkins wished; but his face showed nothing of his conflicting emotions. It was placid and sullen.
"I think I'd rather go, sir," he said.
[Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham]
1. I'd like to know what "you" refers to.
2. I'd like to know if "It" refers to "to end up his school-days with glory and then go to Oxford."
3. I'd like to know what "to the plain" means
4. And I'd like to know why it is "and," not "but."
Thank you in advance for your help.
Top answer
1. Teachers in general and the speaker in particular. 2.
- 1.
- Teachers in general and the speaker in particular.
- 2.
- It is yet another dummy/anticipatory "it".
- The meaning is "(the descent) from X to Y was rather a come-down".
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4 Answers
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1. Teachers in general and the speaker in particular.
2. It is yet another dummy/anticipatory "it". The meaning is "(the descent) from X to Y was rather a come-down".
3. "to the plain" is not a phrase. The overall structure is "It was rather a come-down from X to Y". Y = "the plain, ordinary winning of them", where "plain" and "ordinary" modify "winning".
4. The meaning
2. It is yet another dummy/anticipatory "it". The meaning is "(the descent) from X to Y was rather a come-down".
3. "to the plain" is not a phrase. The overall structure is "It was rather a come-down from X to Y". Y = "the plain, ordinary winning of them", where "plain" and "ordinary" modify "winning".
4. The meaning
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Thank you, GPY, for your So Very helpful and kind answer. 
And I'm so sorry for my tardy question.
And I'm so sorry for my tardy question.
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park sang joon1. I was wondering if it is grammatical that "you" includes the speaker self.It isn't really a matter of grammar. As you probably know, "you" can colloquially mean "people in general". People can also use "you" when they essentially mean "I" but don't want to say so directly. Your example is a sort of indeterminate blend of these, it seems to me
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