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James: luminosity

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Marius Hancu

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Nov 23, 2009, 7:03:09 AM11/23/09
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Hello:

"Luminosity," could it mean "enlightment/clarification?"

BTW, is Sally a common diminutive for Sarah?

---
[Sarah/Sally's afraid of the man Chad, her own brother, has become in
Paris]

"Her difficulty," Strether returned, "has been simply that she finds
she's afraid of you. She's not afraid of ME, [...]

"But what in the world, my dear man," Chad enquired in objection to
this luminosity, "have I done to make Sally afraid?"

"You've been 'wonderful, wonderful,' as we say—we poor people who
watch the play from the pit; and that's what has, admirably, made her.
Made her all the more effectually that she could see you didn't set
about it on purpose—I mean set about affecting her as with fear."

Henry James, The Ambassadors, p. 312
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/432/432-h/432-h.htm
-----
--
Thanks.
Marius Hancu

Peter Duncanson (BrE)

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Nov 23, 2009, 7:18:05 AM11/23/09
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On Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:03:09 -0800 (PST), Marius Hancu
<marius...@gmail.com> wrote:

>Hello:
>
>"Luminosity," could it mean "enlightment/clarification?"
>

The information has come as a surprise to Chad. He is startled as if by
lightning, perhaps.

>BTW, is Sally a common diminutive for Sarah?
>

Yes.

>---
>[Sarah/Sally's afraid of the man Chad, her own brother, has become in
>Paris]
>
>"Her difficulty," Strether returned, "has been simply that she finds
>she's afraid of you. She's not afraid of ME, [...]
>
>"But what in the world, my dear man," Chad enquired in objection to
>this luminosity, "have I done to make Sally afraid?"
>
>"You've been 'wonderful, wonderful,' as we say�we poor people who
>watch the play from the pit; and that's what has, admirably, made her.
>Made her all the more effectually that she could see you didn't set
>about it on purpose�I mean set about affecting her as with fear."
>
>Henry James, The Ambassadors, p. 312
>http://www.gutenberg.org/files/432/432-h/432-h.htm
>-----

--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)

Marius Hancu

unread,
Nov 23, 2009, 7:22:08 AM11/23/09
to
On Nov 23, 7:18 am, "Peter Duncanson (BrE)" <m...@peterduncanson.net>
wrote:

> >"Luminosity," could it mean "enlightment/clarification?"
>
> The information has come as a surprise to Chad. He is startled as if by
> lightning, perhaps.

Ah, that's quite different.

Thanks.
Marius Hancu

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