NL888 Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
We men are deplorable, dependent creatures?
Does "We men are deplorable, dependent creatures" mean "we men, although being miserable, are the creatures who can be relied upon (or who have the ability to support others - while women do not have the ability to be independent) "?
Context:
If Mileva had hoped that Albert would someday acknowledge her, she was
mistaken. Albert, a misogynist, degraded her in a letter to Michele Besso,
"We men are deplorable, dependent creatures. But compared with these women,
every one of us is king, for he stands more or less on his own two feet, not
constantly waiting for something outside of himself to cling to. They, however,
always wait for someone to come along who will use them as he sees fit. If this
does not happen, they simply fall to pieces." While his misogynist behaviour is not
proof of anything, the rest is . The aevidence can not yet disprof the theory of a join
Einstein-Marity constribution to relativity, thought it is likely that she hadn't done it
for her self."[40]
Context:
If Mileva had hoped that Albert would someday acknowledge her, she was
mistaken. Albert, a misogynist, degraded her in a letter to Michele Besso,
"We men are deplorable, dependent creatures. But compared with these women,
every one of us is king, for he stands more or less on his own two feet, not
constantly waiting for something outside of himself to cling to. They, however,
always wait for someone to come along who will use them as he sees fit. If this
does not happen, they simply fall to pieces." While his misogynist behaviour is not
proof of anything, the rest is . The aevidence can not yet disprof the theory of a join
Einstein-Marity constribution to relativity, thought it is likely that she hadn't done it
for her self."[40]
Top answer
No, "dependent" means reliant on someone/something else, not that can be relied upon. Also, "deplorable" means deserving to be deplored, not miserable.
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No, "dependent" means reliant on someone/something else, not that can be relied upon. Also, "deplorable" means deserving to be deplored, not miserable.
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So the author says "we men are pitiful and dependable creatures, yet women are far more pitiful and dependable creatures than men"?
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Dependable and dependent do not mean the same thing.
"Men deserve scorn and rely on others, but are still better than women, who cling to men, allow men to treat them any way they choose, and cannot function without men."
"Men deserve scorn and rely on others, but are still better than women, who cling to men, allow men to treat them any way they choose, and cannot function without men."
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