0
Witiko Posted 15 years ago
Vocabulary

What exactly does "vicarious" mean in this sentence?

The following quote is from the opening scene of V for Vendetta the movie:

In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate.
I find myself unable to grasp the exact meaning of this sentence and the adverb vicariously is the crux of the problem. As far as I know there is neither a direct nor an explanatory way of translating that adj. / adv. into a Slavik language (though I'd love to be proven wrong), so I can but hope for one who is of a kind soul to provide me with an explanation of that quotation.
  

Top answer

It is a statement of irony. Fate is fickle (unreliable, unpredictable). The veteran assumes both the roles of villain and victim.

— AlpheccaStars

  • It is a statement of irony.
  • Fate is fickle (unreliable, unpredictable).
  • The veteran assumes both the roles of villain and victim.
  • (vicarious = to play a role, or to be put in someone else's position)
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

18 Answers
0
It is a statement of irony.

Fate is fickle (unreliable, unpredictable). The veteran assumes both the roles of villain and victim. (vicarious = to play a role, or to be put in someone else's position)
0
0
Right, I can understand the rest, but I just still don't get the vicariously part. Emotion: sad

The thing is that I can understand
0
0
The writer is using "vicariously" to show that the roles of "villain" and "victim" are ideals - role models as in Greek tragedy.

The subject is "fate." Fate is very impersonal, so the passive voice is appropriate.

I suppose it could be roughly translated:

Fate dealt him the situation of being both victim and villian. (These are usually opposing roles.)
0
0
I see. So the word vicariously basically adds another level of abstraction to the sentence? "The veteran assumes the role of someone, who represents / takes on the role of villain / victim." as opposed to "The veretan assumes a role of a villain / victim." , which would be the meaning if "vicariously" were left-out? Do I understand it correctly now?
0
0
Don't feel too bad, Witiko. I'm a native speaker, and I don't get it either. Emotion: smile

The whole thing looks like a game of "How m
0
0
And I thought the person had just made a typo, meaning to write "variously" to show he had more than one role -- sometimes villian, sometimes victim.
0
0
Grammar Geekmeaning to write "variously" to show he had more than one role
The very same thought crossed my mind.

CJ
0
0
CalifJimDon't feel too bad, Witiko. I'm a native speaker, and I don't get it either.

The whole thing looks like a game of "How many words beginning with V can we put together?"

CJ
No doubt if we talk about this particular scene. It throws excessive verbiage comprising words beginning with V viewer-wards for the purpose of astonishing - som
0
0
WitikoI find myself unable to grasp the exact meaning of this sentence and the adverb vicariously is the crux of the problem.
I just watched V. As I recall, the speech in question is recited so quickly that the viewer really doesn't have time to think about what V is saying. My impression is that the whole scene where this occurs is more for the sound and rhyt
0
0
That's a matter of course, but are you saying that the usage of vicariously is nonsensical in this sentence, then?
0

Related Questions