What is the meaning of the following sentence?
What is the meaning of the following sentence(Source: The Man Who Liked Dogs by Raymond Chandler)
I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk and a waiting
room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall,
at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette.
?
Does it mean "I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk.
And I looked at a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall.
And I looked at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette" ?
Can we remove the "at" from the sentence? (=> I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk and a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall, a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette.)
meaning
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What is the meaning of the following sentence(Source: The Man Who Liked Dogs by Raymond Chandler)
I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk and a waiting
room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall,
at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette.
?
Does it mean "I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk.
And I looked at a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall.
And I looked at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette" ?
Can we remove the "at" from the sentence? (=> I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk and a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall, a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette.)
meaning
asked 2 hours ago
user22046user22046
719621
add a comment |
What is the meaning of the following sentence(Source: The Man Who Liked Dogs by Raymond Chandler)
I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk and a waiting
room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall,
at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette.
?
Does it mean "I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk.
And I looked at a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall.
And I looked at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette" ?
Can we remove the "at" from the sentence? (=> I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk and a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall, a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette.)
meaning
asked 2 hours ago
user22046user22046
719621
What is the meaning of the following sentence(Source: The Man Who Liked Dogs by Raymond Chandler)
I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk and a waiting
room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall,
at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette.
?
Does it mean "I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk.
And I looked at a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall.
And I looked at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette" ?
Can we remove the "at" from the sentence? (=> I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk and a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall, a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette.)
meaning
meaning
asked 2 hours ago
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719621
asked 2 hours ago
user22046user22046
719621
asked 2 hours ago
user22046user22046
719621
asked 2 hours ago
user22046user22046
719621
asked 2 hours ago
user22046user22046
719621
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2 Answers
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I think your understanding of the basic meaning is right. Also your intuition seems valid that this passage doesn't really need both "at"s.
Not that I have the stature to criticize Mr. Chandler's writing, but I am a little puzzled why he put the "and" in the middle of the list of things he was looking at. It makes it little bit tricky to visualize the various furnishings in the office and/or the waiting room.
I have a feeling the rest of the story will probably make sense without understanding this sentence perfectly though.
answered 1 hour ago
Lorel C.Lorel C.
3,736149
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Does it mean "I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk. And I looked at a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall. And I looked at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette" ?
Yes.
Normally the two participial phrases would be joined by and as you've guessed. The omission is a literary device called asyndeton, which here is meant to create an atmosphere of action and realism.
The idea is that the subject matter is harsh realities, so flowery prose would be incongruous—either cruelly indifferent or idiotically oblivious. Terse narration signals awareness and even empathy.
You'll see the effect repeats throughout the story:
He looked around and under me, [but he] didn't see a dog.
answered 1 hour ago
Eric EskildsenEric Eskildsen
1213
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Eric Eskildsen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
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2 Answers
2
active
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votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
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I think your understanding of the basic meaning is right. Also your intuition seems valid that this passage doesn't really need both "at"s.
Not that I have the stature to criticize Mr. Chandler's writing, but I am a little puzzled why he put the "and" in the middle of the list of things he was looking at. It makes it little bit tricky to visualize the various furnishings in the office and/or the waiting room.
I have a feeling the rest of the story will probably make sense without understanding this sentence perfectly though.
answered 1 hour ago
Lorel C.Lorel C.
3,736149
add a comment |
I think your understanding of the basic meaning is right. Also your intuition seems valid that this passage doesn't really need both "at"s.
Not that I have the stature to criticize Mr. Chandler's writing, but I am a little puzzled why he put the "and" in the middle of the list of things he was looking at. It makes it little bit tricky to visualize the various furnishings in the office and/or the waiting room.
I have a feeling the rest of the story will probably make sense without understanding this sentence perfectly though.
answered 1 hour ago
Lorel C.Lorel C.
3,736149
add a comment |
I think your understanding of the basic meaning is right. Also your intuition seems valid that this passage doesn't really need both "at"s.
Not that I have the stature to criticize Mr. Chandler's writing, but I am a little puzzled why he put the "and" in the middle of the list of things he was looking at. It makes it little bit tricky to visualize the various furnishings in the office and/or the waiting room.
I have a feeling the rest of the story will probably make sense without understanding this sentence perfectly though.
answered 1 hour ago
Lorel C.Lorel C.
3,736149
I think your understanding of the basic meaning is right. Also your intuition seems valid that this passage doesn't really need both "at"s.
Not that I have the stature to criticize Mr. Chandler's writing, but I am a little puzzled why he put the "and" in the middle of the list of things he was looking at. It makes it little bit tricky to visualize the various furnishings in the office and/or the waiting room.
I have a feeling the rest of the story will probably make sense without understanding this sentence perfectly though.
answered 1 hour ago
Lorel C.Lorel C.
3,736149
answered 1 hour ago
Lorel C.Lorel C.
3,736149
answered 1 hour ago
Lorel C.Lorel C.
3,736149
answered 1 hour ago
Lorel C.Lorel C.
3,736149
3,736149
add a comment |
add a comment |
Does it mean "I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk. And I looked at a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall. And I looked at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette" ?
Yes.
Normally the two participial phrases would be joined by and as you've guessed. The omission is a literary device called asyndeton, which here is meant to create an atmosphere of action and realism.
The idea is that the subject matter is harsh realities, so flowery prose would be incongruous—either cruelly indifferent or idiotically oblivious. Terse narration signals awareness and even empathy.
You'll see the effect repeats throughout the story:
He looked around and under me, [but he] didn't see a dog.
answered 1 hour ago
Eric EskildsenEric Eskildsen
1213
New contributor
Eric Eskildsen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
Does it mean "I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk. And I looked at a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall. And I looked at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette" ?
Yes.
Normally the two participial phrases would be joined by and as you've guessed. The omission is a literary device called asyndeton, which here is meant to create an atmosphere of action and realism.
The idea is that the subject matter is harsh realities, so flowery prose would be incongruous—either cruelly indifferent or idiotically oblivious. Terse narration signals awareness and even empathy.
You'll see the effect repeats throughout the story:
He looked around and under me, [but he] didn't see a dog.
answered 1 hour ago
Eric EskildsenEric Eskildsen
1213
New contributor
Eric Eskildsen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
Does it mean "I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk. And I looked at a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall. And I looked at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette" ?
Yes.
Normally the two participial phrases would be joined by and as you've guessed. The omission is a literary device called asyndeton, which here is meant to create an atmosphere of action and realism.
The idea is that the subject matter is harsh realities, so flowery prose would be incongruous—either cruelly indifferent or idiotically oblivious. Terse narration signals awareness and even empathy.
You'll see the effect repeats throughout the story:
He looked around and under me, [but he] didn't see a dog.
answered 1 hour ago
Eric EskildsenEric Eskildsen
1213
New contributor
Eric Eskildsen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Does it mean "I looked at a small alcove office with a roll top desk. And I looked at a waiting room with mission leather chairs and three diplomas on the wall. And I looked at a mission table scattered with copies of the Dog Fancier's Gazette" ?
Yes.
Normally the two participial phrases would be joined by and as you've guessed. The omission is a literary device called asyndeton, which here is meant to create an atmosphere of action and realism.
The idea is that the subject matter is harsh realities, so flowery prose would be incongruous—either cruelly indifferent or idiotically oblivious. Terse narration signals awareness and even empathy.
You'll see the effect repeats throughout the story:
He looked around and under me, [but he] didn't see a dog.
answered 1 hour ago
Eric EskildsenEric Eskildsen
1213
New contributor
Eric Eskildsen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 51 mins ago
answered 1 hour ago
Eric EskildsenEric Eskildsen
1213
New contributor
Eric Eskildsen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
answered 1 hour ago
Eric EskildsenEric Eskildsen
1213
answered 1 hour ago
Eric EskildsenEric Eskildsen
1213
1213
New contributor
Eric Eskildsen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Eric Eskildsen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Eric Eskildsen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
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