Meaning of "sentimental education" ( first loves at puberty? )

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T. Z. - 09 Jul 2005 09:29 GMT

What is the meaning of the expression "sentimental
education" when it is not a reference to the novel by
Flaubert?

Here's an example of such use:

From "Nora: The Real Life of Molly Bloom" by Brenda
Maddox
Page 21: "... yes O yes I pulled him off into my
handkerchief . . ." Nothing interested Joyce more
than Nora's sentimental education, as "The Dead"
proves. In the case of Willie Mulvagh, whose very name
Joyce bestowed on Molly Bloom's first lover ...

Here, "Nora's sentimental education" means
"Nora's first love or first sexual experiences (at age
15)."

Acually, I don't really understand why Flaubert's
novel is entitled "L'Education sentimentale."

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Don Phillipson - 09 Jul 2005 13:13 GMT

> Acually, I don't really understand why Flaubert's
> novel is entitled "L'Education sentimentale."

We can help better if we know how you tried to
investigate the phrase and what you found. One
line of inquiry is to consider that most 19th (and
20th) century authors suggest emotions are
passive responses to things that happen to the
subject: Flaubert differs, suggesting our feelings
are like muscles that can be schooled and
strengthened; but there are other possibillities.

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Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

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Peter T. Daniels - 09 Jul 2005 13:37 GMT

> What is the meaning of the expression "sentimental
> education" when it is not a reference to the novel by
> Flaubert?

Since it's not a usual English phrase, just about any use of it in
English is in fact at least an allusion to Flaubert (just as "tea-soaked
madeleine" is an allusion to Proust).

> Here's an example of such use:
>
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> Acually, I don't really understand why Flaubert's
> novel is entitled "L'Education sentimentale."

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Peter T. Daniels grammatim@att.net

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Discussion Groups / British English / July 2005

Meaning of "sentimental education" ( first loves at puberty? )