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Wholegrain Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
unpledged and indifferent tabernacle
HERMAN MELVILLE - THE CONFIDENCE MAN
http://www.online-literature.com/melville/confidence-man/12
It appeared that the unfortunate man had had for a wife one of those natures, anomalously vicious, which would almost tempt a metaphysical lover of our species to doubt whether the human form be, in all cases, conclusive evidence of humanity, whether, sometimes, it may not be a kind of unpledged and indifferent tabernacle, and whether, once for all to crush the saying of Thrasea, (an unaccountable one, considering that he himself was so good a man) that "he who hates vice, hates humanity," it should not, in self-defense, be held for a reasonable maxim, that none but the good are human.
What does he mean by "it may not be a kind of unpledged and indifferent tabernacle"?
http://www.online-literature.com/melville/confidence-man/12
It appeared that the unfortunate man had had for a wife one of those natures, anomalously vicious, which would almost tempt a metaphysical lover of our species to doubt whether the human form be, in all cases, conclusive evidence of humanity, whether, sometimes, it may not be a kind of unpledged and indifferent tabernacle, and whether, once for all to crush the saying of Thrasea, (an unaccountable one, considering that he himself was so good a man) that "he who hates vice, hates humanity," it should not, in self-defense, be held for a reasonable maxim, that none but the good are human.
What does he mean by "it may not be a kind of unpledged and indifferent tabernacle"?
Top answer
See, for example, Encarta's dictionary definition of "tabernacle": 8. ).
- See, for example, Encarta's dictionary definition of "tabernacle": 8.
- ).
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2 Answers
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See, for example, Encarta's dictionary definition of "tabernacle":
8. the human body considered as a place temporarily housing the soul or principle of life ( literary )
By "unpledged and indifferent", I believe that he means the (physical) human body is not itself dedicated to any particular moral position of "good" or "bad", but is more of a "blank canvas" in which either good
8. the human body considered as a place temporarily housing the soul or principle of life ( literary )
By "unpledged and indifferent", I believe that he means the (physical) human body is not itself dedicated to any particular moral position of "good" or "bad", but is more of a "blank canvas" in which either good
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