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Fri 4 May, 2007 09:54 pm
here is the Making of Ashenden by Stanley Elkin.it is heroism's parody. so, how to paraphrase the word Making?it means fate?or anything else?
You are not the first person with questions about this book. I think we all agree here that it is a poorly written, confusing, and grammatically incorrect book.
In answer to your question, "The making of Ashenden" refers to the process of developing Ashenden's personality. It is about the events that caused him to become the person he is. It does not have anything to do with fate.
Well, Stuh, actually I don't think any of us has the slightest idea about what this written abomination MIGHT be about. You very well could be right, but who on god's green earth would care. Someone ought to strangle the teacher who laid this atrocity on his unsuspecting students.
I share your contempt for the book, but nonetheless "The making of" does have an unambiguous meaning in this context which can be used to answer graham's question. Whether or not we should give Mr.Elkin the benefit of the doubt on properly using these words is another matter...
Quote:Someone ought to strangle the teacher who laid this atrocity on his unsuspecting students.
Although I reserve my opinion on Mr. Elkin's particular way of expression, I am strongly in support of this comment. It's simply no good in making this story as a material for language study.
Mr. Elkin is trying to pull off an American version of James Joyce at his most allusive. He fails.
Graham--
Welcome to A2K.
"The Making of...." is a common beginning for the titles of 19th century memoirs.
You could paraphrase by saying "The Self-Creation of..."
Good luck!
Quote:Mr. Elkin is trying to pull off an American version of James Joyce at his most allusive. He fails.
Graham--
Welcome to A2K.
"The Making of...." is a common beginning for the titles of 19th century memoirs.
You could paraphrase by saying "The Self-Creation of..."
Good luck!
thank u for reasonable explanation.
learn from variety of different materious
Quote:Someone ought to strangle the teacher who laid this atrocity on his unsuspecting students.
Sounds a bit horrible,really.
It's worth reading and pondering,just as Ashenden's fate to be wealthy,and ended up with the consequence of being raped.
Thank u all! u suggest the way of pondering.
Try any of F. Scott Fitzgerald's or Somerset Maugham's books that are infinitely better written. Generally, I've found quality to be more rewarding than reading pretentious knock-offs. Noddy may be right in thinking this book is attempting to use James Joyce's literary techniques, but I wouldn't assign "Finnegan's Wake" to student's either. I've never been able to get past 100 pages in Finnegan, and I've been trying for close to fifty years.
BTW, my comment about strangling the teacher is just a turn of phrase and not to be taken with any seriousness at all. We English speakers tend to be exuberant in our phraseology, and the language is filled with metaphors, and similes.
Vineyard refer to a place? or just a garden planting grape?
Quote:Let's enjoy ourselves, I say; let's have fun. Lord, let us live in the sand by the surf of the sea and play till cows come home. We'll have a house on the Vineyard and a brownstone in the Seventies and a pied-à-terre in a world capital when something big is about to break.
From the context, I guess Vineyard maybe refer to a famous place, but where is it? could warmhearted help me wiith this？ world capital refer to New York?
Martha's Vineyard.
"brownstone in the Seventies" refers to New York City (it's a kind of house in a certain area of NYC -- "Seventies" is about street numbers rather than the decade). "A world capital" is ambiguous though, could be NYC but could also be London or another major city. From context it seems to be a city other than NYC, since NYC is already covered and the author seems to be referring to three different locations.
sozobe wrote:Martha's Vineyard.
"brownstone in the Seventies" refers to New York City (it's a kind of house in a certain area of NYC -- "Seventies" is about street numbers rather than the decade). "A world capital" is ambiguous though, could be NYC but could also be London or another major city. From context it seems to be a city other than NYC, since NYC is already covered and the author seems to be referring to three different locations.
sozobe,
Ireally appreciate your reply!
bew:could u tell me Email, if possible?
My email?
No.
Sorry.
Go ahead and keep asking questions here if you have more, though. (I can't promise to get to them, but will keep an eye out.)
Quote:Put the Cardinal in the back bedroom where the sun gilds the bay at afternoon tea and give us the courage to stand up to secret police at the door, to top all threats with threats of our own, the nicknames of mayors and ministers, the fast comeback at the front stairs, authority on us like the funny squiggle the counterfeiters miss.
1.why "put the cardinal in the back bedroom where the sun gilds the bay at 4-5 oclock?"
2."top all threats with threats of our own"what's the meaning?
3.like the funny squiggle the counterfeiters miss.the counterfeiters could not copy the funny squiggle because of its complexity?
p.s.
Wood's Hole refer to where?the context goes like this:(My pal, the heir to most of the vegetables in inland Nebraska, has become a superb amateur oceanographer. The marine studies people invite him to Wood's Hole each year. He has a wave named for him.)
It refers to Wood's Hole. It's a place, but I don't know much about it.
This is such a terrible book. Seriously, why are you reading it? (I know, this has been commented upon already...)
OK, so #1:
The Cardinal is apparently a character, I have no idea. Why do they put him there? I dunno. Do you get the "sun gilds the bay" part? (The sun is going down, and so casts golden light on the waters of the bay.) (A bay is a sheltered body of water, usually still as opposed to being full of waves like the ocean.)
#2.
Bravado, basically. If someone threatens them, a return threat is made that's even worse.
#3.
I dunno. This book sucks. Some sort of counterfeit-proofing measure, I guess. (In other words, yes, I think you're right. But this book sucks, so I'm not certain.)
Martha's Vineyard is an island off the Massachusetts coast. Both Martha's Vineyard, the brownstones in the Seventies and a pied-a-terre (Fr, a secondary or temporary home) in a world capital, are all places where wealthy people of social "importance" tend dwell. Basically the narrator is bragging about his social prominence and wealth.
I looked up the book/ author and it seems like it might have some literary value -- if I were reading it I might get swept up in the language and be able to follow it. In little context-less bits and pieces, though, it's a mess.
sozobe wrote:Martha's Vineyard.
"brownstone in the Seventies" refers to New York City (it's a kind of house in a certain area of NYC -- "Seventies" is about street numbers rather than the decade). "A world capital" is ambiguous though, could be NYC but could also be London or another major city. From context it seems to be a city other than NYC, since NYC is already covered and the author seems to be referring to three different locations.
why it is Martha's Vineyard? I am not a native speaker, so please tell me some background information! thanks!
Wood's Hole and Martha's Vineyard are both located on the Cape Cod peninsula of Massachusetts.
Woods Hole has an important research center for marine biology and oceanography. This is why the narrator speaks of a friend who is an oceanographer.
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