Murakami/Rubin: with his bloody, peeled left hand

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Marius Hancu - 30 May 2010 17:04 GMT

Hello:

Could there be a comma after "peeled?" Any difference in meaning?

--
[Terrible dream: someone skins himself]

With his right hand, he peeled the skin of his left arm, and with his
bloody, peeled left arm he peeled the skin of his right arm.

The wind-up bird chronicle, p. 337‎
By Haruki Murakami, Tr. Jay Rubin
----
---
Thanks.
Marius Hancu

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Jeffrey Turner - 31 May 2010 00:07 GMT

> Hello:
>
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> The wind-up bird chronicle, p. 337‎
> By Haruki Murakami, Tr. Jay Rubin

None of the three instances of "peeled" could be followed by a comma.

--Jeff

Signature

Love consists of overestimating
the differences between one woman
and another. --George Bernard Shaw

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Marius Hancu - 31 May 2010 01:15 GMT

> > Could there be a comma after "peeled?" Any difference in meaning?
>
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> None of the three instances of "peeled" could be followed by a comma.

Oh, my! Confusion.

It's the 2nd one I was talking about. Now, about that one, isn't it in
a situation similar to "bloody," thus an adjective _not_ in the last
position (which is "left") preceding a noun? I mean, "bloody" is
followed by a comma.

Thanks.
Marius Hancu

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Donna Richoux - 31 May 2010 01:30 GMT

> > > Could there be a comma after "peeled?" Any difference in meaning?
> >
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> position (which is "left") preceding a noun? I mean, "bloody" is
> followed by a comma.

There are some compounds so strong -- from semantic role and from
frequent use, I suppose -- that you would never put a comma before them.
"Left arm" is a lot like a two-word phrase that would be hyphenated or
closed if it was made of two nouns, like back seat, back-seat, backseat
discussed elsewhere.

You wouldn't say "a cluttered, dirty, back seat." That would imply that
"back" was just as minor and optional in its role as "cluttered" and
"dirty." When actually it plays an important role in identifying which
seat.

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Best -- Donna Richoux

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Marius Hancu - 31 May 2010 10:59 GMT

> > > > Could there be a comma after "peeled?" Any difference in meaning?
>
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
> "dirty." When actually it plays an important role in identifying which
> seat.

Now I'm getting it.

Thank you, Donna.
Marius Hancu

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / May 2010

Murakami/Rubin: with his bloody, peeled left hand