ehos or commonplaces

ethos :

the common beliefs

Joe

i agree, and the book gives a wrong answer, commonplaces, i think.

Check the book again and see if it says "commonplace", that would be right.


I looked up ethos.

Main Entry: ethos
Pronunciation: 'E-"thäs
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin, from Greek Ethos custom, character
: the distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution.

I thought it meant common beliefs but this definition seems to say it means something stronger than that, that is the actual guiding beliefs. That seems to me to be a razor-thin difference, but that is the way words work to give us the precise meaning we want.

The author is saying that James was both a regular guy and someone who seemed to be above all the common stuff of life.

Sorry if I mis-lead you there for a moment.

Joe

I'd go with "commonplaces". I think the writer is trying to combine the overtones of "common places" where the rest of us life and "commonplace" the normal day-by-day.