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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

What does this sentence mean

They were the primal horde or the Oedipal usurpers, and their
authority derived ultimately from their successful monopolization of violence-
and then their subsequent monopolization of the way the story would be told
  

Top answer

Hi, Oedipus is a mythological figure who slept with his mother, thus usurping his father (ie taking his father's place). The psychological adjective 'Oedipal' is derived from this. Your quote deals with the founders of nations, and seems to suggest that these founders were motivated by a desire to replace (usurp) existing authority.

— Clive

  • Hi, Oedipus is a mythological figure who slept with his mother, thus usurping his father (ie taking his father's place).
  • The psychological adjective 'Oedipal' is derived from this.
  • Your quote deals with the founders of nations, and seems to suggest that these founders were motivated by a desire to replace (usurp) existing authority.
  • The author goes on to suggest that the violent American Revolution is an example of this.
  • You might think of this as a kind of psychological analysis of history.
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1 Answers
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Hi,

Oedipus is a mythological figure who slept with his mother, thus usurping his father (ie taking his father's place).

The psychological adjective 'Oedipal' is derived from this.

Your quote deals with the founders of nations, and seem
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