Help me again, pls.

Posted by CjK on September 14, 2004

In Reply to: Help me again, pls. posted by Henry on September 14, 2004

: : 1. It's all the fault, she decided, as the tall fellow drew something on the back of an envelope, something that **was to be looped up or left to hang**, of these absurd class distinctions.

: : I don't understand **was to be looped up or left to hang** .
: : ........

: : 2. - Laurie put his arm round her shoulder. "Don't cry," he said in his warm, loving voice. "Was it awful?"
: : - "No," sobbed Laura. "It was simply marvellous. But Laurie--" She stopped, she looked at her brother. "Isn't life," she stammered, "isn't life--" But what life was she couldn't explain. No matter. He quite understood.
: : ***- "Isn't it, darling?"*** said Laurie.

: : When Laurie said "Isn't it, darling?" , he meant "It is not life" or "It is life"?
: : Can you say it in other way? Thank you.

: Laura says, "Isn't life (wonderful)?"
: Laurie agrees and says, " Isn't it, darling?"
: He might have said simply Yes or Yes, it is.
: Sometimes the reply is Isn't it just, meaning Isn't it just wonderful!

: First question is trickier! It appears to be a drawing of something that can be hung up on a hook, perhaps by shaping it into a loop.
: I don't know if it has anything to do with class distinctions.

Thank you very much, Henry. I'm sorry that my text isn't clear. I don't know how to make better ones.

"It's all the fault of these absurd class distinctions" that why she cannot make friends with lower-class person. (It's in the previous paragraph.)

Can *something that was to be looped up or left to hang* mean that he drew a so good picture that should be hang on the wall? Is this possible?

The second :
Laura had seen a dead man in his peaceful sleeping.
"Was it awful?"
"No," sobbed Laura. "It was simply marvellous.*
Here they talked about death.
So, her *Isnt' life* means "Isn't life marvellous?" or "It isn't life." ... If it's the first one, why she said *But Laurie...*? Will *but* means anything?

Sorry that I ask for too trifling details. Hope you don't mind. Thank you again.

• Help me again, pls. CjK 14/September/04
  • Help me again, pls. Henry 14/September/04
    • Thank you. CjK 15/September/04