 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsEnglish UsageBritish EnglishESL Teaching Learnglish.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Discussion Groups / English Usage / February 2008Of its kind
Hello: The "of its kind" in the last sentence is quite tricky, to me at least. I am not sure it means "in itself" but that what I'd have in the context. ----- The time so melted away, that our early dinner-hour drew close at hand, and Estella left us to prepare herself. We had stopped near the centre of the long table, and Miss Havisham, with one of her withered arms stretched out of the chair, rested that clenched hand upon the yellow cloth. As Estella looked back over her shoulder before going out at the door, Miss Havisham kissed that hand to her, with a ravenous intensity that was of its kind quite dreadful. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, p. 357 http://www.web-books.com/Classics/Dickens/Expect/Expect29_4.htm ----- Thanks. Marius Hancu In our last episode, <7goxj.91595$ZQ3.138389@wagner.videotron.net>, the lovely and talented Marius Hancu broadcast on alt.usage.english: > Hello: > The "of its kind" in the last sentence is quite tricky, to me at least. > I am not sure it means > "in itself" > but that what I'd have in the context. It means "in comparison with others like it." On the guess that the antecedent of "its" is "intensity," Miss H's intensity was among the most dreadful of intensities (even if the other ravenous intensities are fairly dreadful or the opposite). A rose that is of its kind blue, may not be very blue, but is bluer than other roses of the variety, and on the hand, if it is of its kind red, it is among the reddest, which may be very red. I suppose that all ravenous intensities are somewhat dreadful, so in this case, it is the worst of the worst. > ----- > The time so melted away, that our early dinner-hour drew close at hand, [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > door, Miss Havisham kissed that hand to her, with a ravenous intensity > that was of its kind quite dreadful. > Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, p. 357 > http://www.web-books.com/Classics/Dickens/Expect/Expect29_4.htm > ----- > Thanks. > Marius Hancu  SignatureLars Eighner <http://larseighner.com/> usenet@larseighner.com Countdown: 327 days to go. > It means "in comparison with others like it." On the guess that the > antecedent of "its" is "intensity," Miss H's intensity was among the most > dreadful of intensities (even if the other ravenous intensities are fairly > dreadful or the opposite). I thought about it, but couldn't quite believe it ... it seemed a bit exagerated. Thanks. Marius Hancu >> It means "in comparison with others like it." On the guess that the >> antecedent of "its" is "intensity," Miss H's intensity was among the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > I thought about it, but couldn't quite believe it ... it seemed a bit > exagerated. What? Dickens exaggerate? What a preposterous suggestion! SignatureMike. -- Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com >>> It means "in comparison with others like it." On the guess that the >>> antecedent of "its" is "intensity," Miss H's intensity was among the [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > >What? Dickens exaggerate? What a preposterous suggestion! Please sir, may I have some more? SignatureRobin Bignall (BrE) Herts, England |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2012 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.