James: as she was poured for Sarah
Marius Hancu
One of the toughest paras in the books, IMO, but perhaps I'm bogged
down in some failed interpretations.
My question is about 1st sentence, the part containing "poured."
Does this mean she was trying to figuratively "pour her own being" in
kindnesses to Sarah or what?
Or is "just" to be read as "correct" here? I read it as "even,"
doesn't help me much more:-)
---
[Sarah shows up in Paris to check on Stether's checking on her
brother, Chad:-) Mme Vionnet, Chad's friend, comes up to her hotel
room, tries to offer her services around Paris, but she isn't met with
much sympathy. Stether's upset as he thinks Sarah gets the feeling
that he's Mme Vionnet's ally, not her own.]
[About Mme Vionnet] She was all kindness and ease, but she couldn't
help so giving him; she was exquisite, and her being just as she was
poured for Sarah a sudden rush of meaning into his own equivocations.
How could she know how she was hurting him? She wanted to show as
simple and humble—in the degree compatible with operative charm; but
it was just this that seemed to put him on her side. She struck him as
dressed, as arranged, as prepared infinitely to conciliate—with the
very poetry of good taste in her view of the conditions of her early
call. She was ready to advise about dressmakers and shops; she held
herself wholly at the disposition of Chad's family.
Henry James, The Ambassadors, p. 237
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/432/432-h/432-h.htm
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BTW, my printed version has two extra commas:
"... she was exquisite, and her being just as she was poured, for
Sarah, a sudden rush of meaning into his own equivocations."
--
Thanks.
Marius Hancu
Donna Richoux
> One of the toughest paras in the books, IMO, but perhaps I'm bogged
> down in some failed interpretations.
>
> My question is about 1st sentence, the part containing "poured."
> Does this mean she was trying to figuratively "pour her own being" in
> kindnesses to Sarah or what?
>
> Or is "just" to be read as "correct" here? I read it as "even,"
> doesn't help me much more:-)
>
[snip]
> [About Mme Vionnet] She was all kindness and ease, but she couldn't
> help so giving him; she was exquisite, and her being just as she was
> poured for Sarah a sudden rush of meaning into his own equivocations.
[snip rest]
I think you have to switch to a more verbish interpretation of "being"
and less nounish. Like "her being young" or "her being that way."
her being just as she was =
The fact that she was exactly the way she was. Apparently, Sarah has now
seen what she's like.
"poured for Sarah a sudden rush of meaning" -- Now Sarah understands why
he had been equivocating. Think of meaning is a substance; a lot of this
substance was just poured into Sarah's head.
I just glanced through the rest of the scene. Looks like quite the
polite battle between the two women, each trying to take the high
ground. Reminds me of Gwendolyn and Cecily in TIOBE (but they were
funnier).
--
Best -- Donna Richoux
Marius Hancu
> her being just as she was =
> The fact that she was exactly the way she was. Apparently, Sarah has now
> seen what she's like.
>
> "poured for Sarah a sudden rush of meaning" -- Now Sarah understands why
> he had been equivocating.
OK, now I'm getting it.
Thanks, Donna.
Marius Hancu