高级英语精品课程教案——The Discovery of What It Means to Be an American

高级英语精品课程 教案 中职数学基础模块教案 下载北师大版¥1.2次方程的根与系数的关系的教案关于坚持的教案初中数学教案下载电子教案下载 ——The Discovery of What It Means to Be an American Lesson 12 The Discovery of What It Means to Be an American Background Informaiton James Baldwin (1924-1987): American writer, whose focus on issues of racial discrimination made him a prominent spokesperson for racial equality, esp. during the civil rights movements of the 1960s. He is best known for his semiautobiographical first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain (1953), and for The Fire Next Time(1963), a powerful collection of essays in which he expressed his belief that racial discrimination is a disease of white society, curable only by white society?s acknowledgement of the illness. James Arthur Baldwin was born in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City to a single mother, Emma Birdis Jones. When he was still young, his mother married a preacher, David Baldwin, who adopted James. The family was poor, and James and his adopted father had a difficult relationship. Baldwin attended the prestigious De Witt Clinton Public High School in New York. At the age of 14 he joined the Pentecostal Church and became a Pentecostal preacher. When he was 17 years old, Baldwin turned away from religion and moved to Greenwich Village. Supporting himself with odd jobs, he began to write short stories, essays, and book reviews, many of which were later collected in the volume Notes of a Native Son (1955). During this time Baldwin began to recognize his own homosexuality. In 1948, disillusioned by American prejudice against blacks and homosexuals, Baldwin left the United States for Paris, France. He would live in Paris for most of his later life. In Paris, with the support of fellowship grants and literary supporters such as American novelist Richard Wright, Baldwin wrote his first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain. The book describes a boy?s religious conversion, and Baldwin tells the story through a series of prayers that serve as flashbacks. He weaves the history of the boy?s family and community into the novel?s narrative. While in France, Baldwin came to accept his homosexuality and began work on Giovanni’s Room (1956), a novel about a man exploring his sexual identity. In 1957, impressed by the growing strength of the civil rights movement in the United States, Baldwin returned to the country briefly in order to participate. He published his observations of the United States in the essay collections Nobody Knows My Name (1961) and The Fire Next Time. The latter, a study of the Black Muslim movement led by Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X, predicted violence and political upheaval if American whites did not face up to the country?s racial problems. The success of The Fire Next Time made Baldwin a prominent figure in the civil rights movement. He spoke out in interviews and gave impassioned speeches about racial justice. Baldwin continued to address racial issues in his novels as well. Another Country (1962) describes the tortured relationships within a group of black and white friends. Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone (1968) is about a Harlem boy?s rise to fame as an actor. If Beale Street Could Talk (1974) depicts the struggles of a young African American couple hemmed in by racism and an unsympathetic legal system. In Baldwin?s last novel, Just Above My Head (1979), the brother of a dead gospel singer reflects on his brother?s life. In 1964 Baldwin collaborated with American photographer Richard Avedon on Nothing Personal, a collection of photographs and essays about the United States. Baldwin?s other works include the plays The Amen Corner (1950) and Blues for Mister Charlie (1964); the short-story collection Going to Meet the Man (1965); the essay collections The Devil Finds Work (1976) and The Price of the Ticket (1985); and the poetry collection Jimmy’s Blues (1985). ?What is the thesis of this essay? What kind of writing is this one? This is a piece of expository writing. The central thesis of the exposition is expressed by the title of the essay. Baldwin discovers in Europe that the American is different from the European and that it is a complex fate to be an American. He also discovers that all Americans, white or black, loved their country and were not at home in Europe; that Americans knew more about each other than any European ever could; that Europe was part of their identity and part of their inheritance. However, the thesis doesn?t seem to have been fully developed for Baldwin appears to be writing on three levels: 1. as an American 2. as an American writer and 3. as an American Negro writer. The title of the essay could well have been “The Discovery of What It Means to Be an American Writer” or “The Discovery of What It Means to Be an American Negro Writer”. Perhaps the most suitable title or thesis would have been “The Discovery of What It Means to Be an American Negro”. Baldwin states in para 2: “I wanted to prevent myself from becoming merely a Negro; or even, merely a Negro writer”, but the essay proves that he was unable to do so. The reactions, reflections and conclusions are mainly those of an American Negro. This is as it should be and Baldwin proves this point himself in para 22, where he states: “He may leave the group that produced him—he may be forced to—but nothing will efface his origins, the marks of which he carries with him everywhere.” Europe did have a profound impact on Baldwin, where perhaps, for the first time he was free of the crippling effect of being a discriminated Negro. In Europe he was forced to reassess and reconsider many things he had always taken for granted. This and the acceptance of his Negro origins had made him the militant Negro writer that he was. Detailed Study of the Text ?What is the theme of this essay? Does it go in accordance with the title? Why does Baldwin begin it with a quotation? Beginning an essay with a quotation lends authority and force to what one intends to say. But to be effective the quotation must be apt and well-chosen as this one is. P 1: It is a complex fate to be an American: The fate of an American is complicated and hard to understand. aspiration: strong desire for high achievement? ambition peculiar: distinctive; unique ?What triumphs does Baldwin refer to? Probably he is talking about the victories of America in WWI and WWII, he may be either talking about her victory in becoming one of the most advanced country in the world, in becoming the superpower. profound: deep and hard to grasp stubborn: hard to get rid of; not responding to treatment extremely controversial proper noun: people give very different definitions or interpretations of the word “America”. They fail to agree and quarrel over the different definitions and interpretations. America’s history…proper noun: Everything about America, whether in the past or at present, is quite different from those of other countries. Her history, her ambitions, her victories and defeats and her position in the community of nations are extraordinary and unparalleled. This difference, this uniqueness is deep, subtle and hard to get rid of. For this reason it is hard to define what the proper noun “America” stands for. People go on giving new and different interpretations to this word. motley: having or composed of many different or clashing elements; heterogeneous not even we motley…Americans: no one in the world knows what the word “America” describes exactly, not even the million of Americans with their different background, education, outlook, etc P 2: ?What does Baldwin refer to by saying “the color problem”? It refers to racial discrimination in America. I left America…problem here: I left America because I was afraid he might not be able to live through all the furious struggle brought about by racial discrimination in America. ?Where does the specialness of Baldwin?s experience lie? Maybe the specialness lies in Baldwin?s experience as a writer, and a Negro writer. I wanted to find out…from them: He wanted to find out in what way he could make use of this special experience to bring him closer to other people instead of driving him farther apart from them. at bottom: fundamentally; actually; really I was isolated…about him: At present I feel myself isolated from both Negroes and whites alike because I really believe what the white people say about Negroes. P 3: ?What is your understanding of the phrase “as American as”? G. I.: government issue In my necessity…Texas G. I.: I found it necessary to find out the conditions or ways in which I could relate my experience to that of other people, Negroes and whites, writers and non-writers. In this process I found, to my surprise, that I was as patriotic an American as any Texas soldier. divorced: completely separated ?What are their origins? And in what sense does Baldwin say that the white had been separated from their European origins as he was from his African origins? They refer to their European origins as white guys. Baldwin says so because that both the white and the black are treated as Americans. at home: comfortable; at ease; as if in one?s own home P 4: son: descendent confront: to come face to face with, especially with defiance or hostility; encounter meant less: was not as important as; was less important than identity: the condition or fact of being a specific person or thing; individuality we were both searching for our separate identities: the Negro and white American writers were both trying to find their own special individualities. They were all trying to find their own special characteristics and qualities. cling to: to remain emotionally attached to ?What do they find? Their separate identities or the fact mentioned previously? when we found…so long: when they had found their separate identities, they seem to say to each other there was no longer any need to harbor the feelings of shame and bitterness that had divided the Negroes and the whites for so long. ?What is the shame and bitterness that had divided the black and the white for a long time? The racial discrimination of the white against the black and the fight back of the black P 5: ?Why does Baldwin say that Europe had formed both the black and the white? Probably Baldwin means that both the black and the white found their identities in Europe, or that both the black and the white nourished from the European culture and civilization. And it also became clear…our inheritance: And it also became clear that, no matter how different their origins were, Europe had formed both the black and the white Americans. This fact was part of the identity and inheritance of the Negro and white American writers alike. P 6: ?What does “This” refer to? “This” refers to the facts mentioned in para 5. When it did: When this became clear to me. prop: an object placed beneath or against a structure to keep it from falling or shaking; a support knock out: to o render unconscious; to render useless or inoperative his props…under him: metaphor, all the things that gave him strength and courage to live his life are compared to props. All the things he believed and had faith in, all the things that gave him strength and courage to live his life now proved to be misconceptions, to be wrong. ?What does the “mountains of Switzerland” stand for? Why did Baldwin go there after his breakdown? The mountains of Switzerland are known for their beautiful sceneries and sanatoriums疗养院, people who have various kinds of diseases tend to go there to have their recover and recuperate (recover). And that is the reason why Baldwin went there. alabaster: a translucent, whitish, fine-grained variety of gypsum, used for statues, vases, etc半透明或有时 带有条纹的坚硬大理岩. It is used figuratively here to describe the white and translucent like quality of the snow mountains. armed with: metaphor; comparing the records and typewriter to weapons he was going to use to fight his nervous breakdown from which I had spent so many years in flight: metaphor. I tried for many years to run away from (to forget) the life he had first known as a child P 7: cadence: general inflection or modulation of the voice; balanced, rhythmic flow dig back to the way: find the way back by digging; find the way back through hard, laborious work/effort pickaninny: used as a disparaging term for a young Black child It was Bessie Smith…and felt: Bessie Smith, through the tone and rhythm of her songs (Negro folk music), helped me remember how I spoke as a child and the things I had heard, seen and felt in my childhood. I had…very deep: metaphor, Things buried deep are hard to find and recover. I had tried very hard to forget my Negro childhood. ?What do Bessie Smith and watermelon have in common? Watermelon, an African fruit introduced into America by the Negro slaves, was grown by the white plantation owners. The Negroes were very fond of this fruit. Baldwin didn?t eat watermelon for years and never listened to Bessie Smith?s record because he didn?t want to behave like a typical Negro. He couldn?t reconcile himself to being a “nigger”, and was trying to forget his Negro origins. reconcile: to induce (sb.) to accept sth. disagreeable; to reestablish a close relationship between nigger: an offensive term of contempt for American Negroes used by some whites in America in Europe she…“nigger”: in Europe, the songs of Bessie Smith helped me to accept my Negro origins and not to be ashamed of it P 8: ?What does “here” refer to? Here is America. I do not think…here: I don?t think I could have accepted in America my Negro status without feeling ashamed. ?What does “my „place?” mean here? And what does “my role” refer to? My „place? means that my place as a negro in American society while my role refers to that of me being a writer in America. a role—in the extraordinary drama which is America: metaphor, all the extraordinary things that happen in America being compared to a drama. Baldwin?s role is that of an American writer, describing this extraordinary drama. illusion: an erroneous perception of reality; Once I was able…hated America: As a Negro, I occupied the lowest place in American society, that?s why I hated America. In Europe when I discovered myself to be a patriotic American writer and had a special role to play in the extraordinary drama of America, I no longer hated my country. P 9: relief: sharp contrast; distinctness of outline The story…American writer there: The story of what can happen to an American Negro writer shows simply and quite sharply what can happen to any American writer there. ?What is the implied meaning of this statement? That is to say, despite the sharp contrast of origins as a black or white, all Americans living in Europe have similar experiences. cripple: to frustrate, to hinder; to make unable or unfit to act, function effectively, etc It is not meant…too: This does not mean that it happens to all American writers who go to Europe for Europe can also have a very frustrating or disabling effect. breakthrough: a strikingly important advance or discovery in any field of knowledge or activity skirmish: a minor battle in war, as one between small forces or between large forces avoiding direct conflict 小规模战斗 crucial skirmish: a small encounter but of decisive importance a writer, when…unpredictable battle: metaphor, comparing a writer?s realization of self and identity to a breakthrough, a crucial skirmish and a writer?s life and task is compared to an unpredictable battle. A writer, when he discovers his specific identity in Europe, has only just managed to make a breakthrough, to win a small though crucial encounter, in the dangerous and unending struggle whose outcome one cannot yet foresee. P 10: apologize: to make a formal defense in speech or writing; to make a formal defense or justification in speech or writing 辩解 The American writer…apologizing for himself: In Europe, an American writer has no need to find reasons or excuses to excuses to explain why he is a writer. flex: to exhibit or show off the strength of; to contract a muscle a regular guy: an ordinary person It is not until…habit has been: metaphor, comparing a display of strength to flexing one?s muscles. In America a writer gets into the habit of displaying his strength to defend himself or to avoid being attacked; and he is always trying to prove that he is an ordinary person, same as any other person. This habit makes him unable to act or function effectively. He realizes all this only when he gets rid of this habit in Europe. ?Whom does “they” refer to? The Europeans. kill off: to destroy in such large numbers as to render extinct persistent: refusing to give up or let go; Whatever the European …businessmen: simile, comparing the artists to rain, snow, taxes or businessmen. They all exist and are real and will never disappear. No matter what the Europeans may actually think of artists, they have killed off enough of them to know by now that artists are real people and there will always be artists just as there will always be rain, snow, taxes or businessmen. P 11: letters: the profession of a writer vocation: any trade, profession or occupation uneasy wonder: transferred epithet. The European writer does not uneasily wonder or doubt anxiously cost him all his friends: make him lose all his friends A European writer…all his friends: A European writer considers himself to be a part of an old and honorable profession. He is a man of letters. In following this profession he doesn?t need to worry whether or not he will lose all his friends. P 12: deep-seated: deeply rooted; ingrained we have…intellectual effort: people in America have a very strong distrust of people engaged in real intellectual work and the distrust is hard to remove. ?What myth is Baldwin talking about here? He is talking about the myth which claims America as the land of freedom and opportunity where anyone, through sheer hard work and determination, can become rich and successful and rise to the top of his profession…A newspaper boy can become the president of the U. S. we suspect that it will destroy that myth…so desperately: the American people are afraid that real, honest intellectual work will destroy that myth of America to which they cling so desperately rung: a rod or bar forming a step of a ladder bull-headed: unreasonably, often perversely unyielding indescribable: exceeding description An America writer fights…odd jobs: metaphor, comparing the profession of a writer to the lowest rung of a ladder. The writing profession is one of the lowest professions in American society, yet the American writer can remain in this profession only through sheer tenacity and by undertaking an indescribable series of odd jobs. lukewarm: mildly warm He probably has been…lukewarm bath: metaphor, comparing being a “regular fellow” to being in a lukewarm bath. The writer, for much of his adult life, has probably been trying very hard to appear and behave like an ordinary person and it is not easy for him to change his habit now. P 13: paradox: a seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true; mobile: designating or of a society in which one may advance in social status and in which social groups mingle freely. (Baldwin uses the word in its first sense) cut across: go across, esp. in order to shorten one?s route; break through What do “there” and “here” refer to respectively? “There” means in Europe and “here” means in the United States. though American society…than it is here: though in America people?s social status can change more freely, yet it is easier in Europe for people of different social groups and occupations to intermingle and have social intercourse. P 14: threatened: was a source of danger of losing their position A man can be proud…threatened: In Europe a good waiter and a good actor are equally proud of their social status and position. They are not jealous of each other and do not live in fear of losing their position. make it: to do or achieve a certain thing; to be rich and successful The waiter does not feel…made it: The waiter does not vaguely feel hurt or indignant at the actor?s success. torment: to agitate or upset greatly; to cause to undergo great physical pain or mental anguish P 15: paranoia: a psychotic disorder characterized by delusions of persecution or grandeur, often strenuously defended with apparent logic and reason; extreme, irrational distrust of others reach out to: to make contact with; communicate with accessible: easily approached or entered; easy to talk to or get along with open to: glad or willing to receive, discuss, etc; available or accessible to or for This lack…open to everything: In Europe the American writer loses his fear of social persecution and almost certainly for the first time in his life he feels that he can have social contacts with everyone and everyone can approach him too and he is willing to listen to and discuss everything. so to speak: in a manner of speaking weight: importance He feels…his own value: One might say he realizes his own importance and worth. P 16: It is as though…open sky: simile, comparing the sudden realization of the writer?s own importance and worth to coming out from a dark tunnel into the open sky. An American writer in Europe loses his doubts and fears and suddenly realizes who he is and what he can do. It is like a man suddenly coming out of a dark tunnel to find himself beneath the open sky. borne in on: (formal English) (of a person affected) be made to realize melancholy: affected with or marked by depression of the spirits; sad. It was borne in on me…was dead: I was made to realize, and without feeling sad, that the beautiful sky I saw in Paris had been there before I was born and would be there when I was dead. ?What does the „that? clause indicate? This „that? clause is used to indicate the shortness of life, and this did not make Baldwin feel melancholy. brief: short in time, duration make the most of: to use to the greatest advantage And it was up to me…could be made: (Since life was short) it was up to me to make the best use of my time and opportunity on this earth. P 17: pocket: a small area or group of a specific type (a pocket of poverty) the Right bank and the Left: the north side of the Seine in Paris is known as the Right Bank (Rive Droite) and the south side as the Left Bank bourgeoisie: Baldwin uses the term to represent the rich people. les miserables: the poor, poverty-stricken people pimp: one who finds customers for a prostitute Neuilly: also called Neuilly-sur-Seine, residential suburb northwest of Paris, noted for its broad avenues and large parks, in the department of Hauts-de-Seine. ?Why does Baldwin mention so many places here? He just wants to stress the fact that he had lived all over Paris and had come into contact with all kinds of people. unprincipled: lacking principles or moral scruples; unscrupulous 没有顾忌的 This may sound…healthy: This living among the rich and the poor and having social intercourse with prostitutes and bankers alike may appear to be very unscrupulous or even violating in some way the standards of moral behavior but I found it to be a healthy thing to do. P 18: perpetual: continuing or lasting for an indefinitely long time shattering: serious damage; destruction or ruin of preconception: an opinion or a conception formed in advance of full or adequate knowledge or experience; a prejudice or bias 先入之见 reassessment: reevaluation; reconsideration This reassessment…very valuable: This reconsidering of the significance and importance of many things that one had taken for granted in the past can be very painful, though very valuable. P 19: ?What does “this freedom” mean here? And what do the dangers and responsibilities refer to? “This freedom” refers to release from the constricting bonds of old beliefs and habits—a writer released from the habit of apologizing for oneself; released form the habit of flexing his muscles and proving that he is just a “regular guy”, etc. One of the responsibilities of the writer, perhaps, is to find out “the hidden laws” and “profound assumptions” that govern American society. The second responsibility is the responsibility of his own development, while dangers may refer to the possibility of running into wrong conclusions and forming false opinions. However, in this essay, Baldwin is not explicit about the “dangers” a writer has to face. This freedom…responsibilities: When a man is free he has to face many dangers and accept many responsibilities. P 20: This crucial day may be the day…to explain it: This highly important and decisive day when he realizes for the first time that he is living in Europe as an American may be the day on which 1) an Algerian taxi driver tells him how it feels to be an Algerian in Paris, or 2) he sees the tense, intelligent and troubled face of Albert Camus sitting in a sofa, or 3) someone asks him to explain Little Rock. terrace: an unroofed, paved area, immediately adjacent to a house Albert Camus:(1913-1960), French-Algerian novelist, essayist, dramatist, and journalist, a Nobel laureate whose concepts of the absurd and of human revolt address and suggest solutions to the problem of meaninglessness in modern human life. Little Rock: city, state capital of Arkansas. Worldwide attention was focused on Little Rock in September 1957, when nine black students unsuccessfully attempted to enroll in the city?s Central High School. Until that time only white students had attended the school, despite a federal order that barred continued segregation. When the black students were refused entry into the school, sporadic零星的rioting broke out, and as tension mounted, President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent federal troops into the city to preserve order. Under their protection, the black students completed the school year. The next year the school board closed the city?s high schools, but when they reopened in September, 1959, some black students were admitted, and in the 1960s integration was gradually achieved. From the 1980s until the early 1990s, Bill Clinton, then governor of Arkansas, lived in Little Rock; in 1993 he became the 42nd president of the United States. corny: trite, dated, melodramatic, or mawkishly sentimental; commonplace he begins to feel…to explain it: he (being an American Negro) begins to feel that it would be simpler and more honorable, though the word “honorable” may sound trite and commonplace, to go to Little Rock and take part in the struggle for desegregation in public schools than stay in Europe, with an American passport, trying to explain the struggle that was going on there. P 21: ?Why does Baldwin claim that the day is both personal and terrible? What does he mean anyway? Perhaps the day is “terrible” because Baldwin realizes on this day that he is living in a fearfully troubled world and the day is personal because he also realizes that the responsibility for his development rests in his own hands. sojourn: a temporary stay; a brief period of residence tend: to move or extend in a certain direction; lead to This is a personal day…been tending: His entire stay in Europe had been leading to this terrible day, a day that is significant and important to himself alone. ?What does the “anything” refer to here? Anything may refer to things that are important, things that have both political and historical importance to people in Europe and America. if he has been preparing…for America: if in Europe it seemed that he was getting himself ready for some important task or work, he now realizes fully that he has only been preparing himself for the task that awaits him in America. full circle: back to one's starting point P 22: incorrigible: incapable of being corrected or reformed; firmly rooted; ineradicable maverick: (after Samuel Maverick, Texas rancher大牧场主 who did not brand his cattle) an unbranded animal, esp. a strayed calf, formerly the legitimate property of the first person who branded it Even the most…somewhere: metaphor, comparing a person who likes to travel a lot, a person who leaves the place or country where he was born to a maverick. A person has to be born somewhere, even a person who is in the habit of changing his place of residence constantly has to be born somewhere. efface: to rub or wipe out; erase He may…produced him: He may leave the group of people where he was born. In the case of Baldwin, he may leave the Negroes in Harlem, New York City where he was born, but he will still bear the marks of his origins. rejoicing: feeling joyful; delighted station: a stopping place along a route; social position; rank; destination On his acceptance…a writer depends: The life of a writer really depends on his accepting the fact that no matter where he goes or what he does he will always carry the marks of his origins. A writer cannot write without showing the marks of his origins. P 23: in opposition to: in conflict with; if not: otherwise; anything but at odds: in disagreement; in conflict at odds…place: in his novel Anna Karenina, Tolstoy described the tragic fate of the heroine, whose thoughts and actions were out of harmony with her time and place in society; describing anything but the tragic fate of the solitary individual Anna Karenina fighting against her time and place in society. P 24: ?What is your understanding of a dense society? Dense originally means that sth. is hard to penetrate while here it means that everything in the social status of everyone is so fixed and compact that it is not easy for anyone to climb up the social ladder. The real difference…fixed forever: Tolstoy is describing an old and compact society where everything seemed to the people so. Whereas the American writers are describing a mobile society “in which nothing is fixed and in which the individual must fight for his identity”. This is the real difference. fathom: to penetrate to the meaning or nature of doom: fate, especially a tragic or ruinous one P 25: American writers…to describe: American writers live in a mobile society where nothing is fixed so they do not have a fixed society to describe. rich: abundant and meaningful (things, people, events, etc) confusion: things appear confused because nothing is fixed and people are fighting to establish their identities unprecedented: having no previous example This is a rich…opportunities: American society indeed affords an abundant, meaningful, and ever-changing variety of writers with such favorable circumstances. P 26: tremendous: extremely large in amount, extent, or degree That the tension…even a question: It is quite true that there is a lot of tension/pressure in American life, but the people have also untold opportunities for advancement. symptom: any circumstance, event, or condition that accompanies sth. and indicates its existence or occurrence; sign; indication But these are dealt…examination of it: The tension and possibilities of American life appear in many contemporary novels but the writer seems to have been compelled or forced to write on these themes. These books were not written by the write after an analysis of the tension that exists in American society but they are more likely the direct product of the tension itself. P 27: hidden: unwritten (laws); (laws) not promulgated profound: deeply or intensely felt assumption: anything taken for granted; supposition Every society…of the people: Every society is influenced and directed by hidden laws, and by many things deeply felt and taken for granted by the people, though not openly spoken about. given: accustomed, as from habit or inclination; prone; disposed or inclined (given to lying) taboo: any social prohibition or restriction that results from convention or tradition In a society…no easy matter: The American people are very much disposed to the breaking of bonds imposed by convention or tradition but they never really manage to free themselves from these bonds. In this kind of society it is very hard for the writer to find out the hidden laws and assumptions that govern it. P 28: sustenance: the supporting of life or health; maintenance; nourishment model: a person or thing considered as a standard of excellence to be imitated He needs sustenance…he can find: metaphor, comparing a writer?s work or life to a long arduous journey. A writer needs spiritual and intellectual nourishment to give him strength to carry on his work and also the best standards of excellence that he can follow. Therefore he runs off to Europe where he can find these things. inexorable: that cannot be altered, checked, etc. sense: an ability to feel, appreciate, or understand some quality Europe has…of tragedy: People in Europe can feel and understand that nothing can alter or check the obscure and inexplicable limitations of life. In a word, they know the meaning of tragedy. The American people do not yet have the ability to feel, appreciate or understand all these things. sorely: extremely; greatly And we have…life’s possibilities: People in America feel and know that life is full of opportunities and with the right endeavor everything is possible. Europe urgently needs this new feeling. P 29: endeavor: a conscientious or concerted effort toward an end; an earnest attempt arm: any combatant branch of the military forces In this endeavor…strongest arm: metaphor, comparing the uniting of the two visions to a marriage. In this attempt to unite the vision of Europe and that of America, it is the writer who can exert the strongest force and not the statesmen. intangible: incapable of being perceived by the senses; incapable of being realized or defined Though we do not…on the world: The spiritual and intellectual life of the people is a real life and the vague dreams of the people have a perceptible effect on the world. This is true, though we do not wholly believe it yet.