Hi, All!

From the story about dr Jekyll & Hyde:

....I was in the mere stupidity of wonder, before terror woke up in my breast as sudden and startling as the crash of cymbals, and bounding from my bed, I rushed to the mirror.

Why "the crash" not "a crash"?

Bye, All!
Alexander Koryagin

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Re: the crash
By: Alexander Koryagin to All on Tue Jul 19 2022 18:31:44

Why "the crash" not "a crash"?

i suspect because they are speaking of the sound of the cymbals crashing together instead of a sound of cymbals...


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Hi, Alexander! Recently you wrote in a message to All:

From the story about dr Jekyll & Hyde:

....I was in the mere stupidity of wonder, before
terror woke up in my breast as sudden and startling
as the crash of cymbals, and bounding from my bed,
I rushed to the mirror.

Why "the crash" not "a crash"?

Dallas & I agree that we don't feel strongly about it either way, but IMHO a cymbal crash is quite distinctive... as is e.g. "the skirl of bagpipes", or "the sound of a great Amen" in THE LOST CHORD.

Another point Dallas brought up is that the author had already used a number of words beginning with /a/ in close proximity there. He was writing at a time when the vast majority of his audience would hear it read aloud.... :-)




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Alexander Koryagin:

From the story about dr Jekyll & Hyde:

...I was in the mere stupidity of wonder, before terror
woke up in my breast as sudden and startling as the
crash of cymbals, and bounding from my bed, I rushed to
the mirror.

Why "the crash" not "a crash"?

Stevenson compares Jekyll's (I think) shock to that produced
by a sudden, sharp, and loud sound. And cymbals, struck
together with great force, make exactly such kind of sound.
He is referring not to *a* specific instance of crashing-
together of *a* specific pair of cymbals (there was none!),
but to a general quality of that action as a rerefence.

P.S.: I don't know why people read J&H as their first (and
often last) work by Stevenson, who is a great master
of the short story.

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P.S.: I don't know why people read J&H as their first (and
often last) work by Stevenson, who is a great master
of the short story.

I am not sure about other parts of the world but, in the US, some were
probably forced to read it as their first in school.

Mike


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Hi, Anton Shepelev!
I read your message from 07.08.2022 03:00

AK>> From the story about dr Jekyll & Hyde:
AK>>
AK>> ...I was in the mere stupidity of wonder, before terror
AK>> woke up in my breast as sudden and startling as the
AK>> crash of cymbals, and bounding from my bed, I rushed to
AK>> the mirror.
AK>>
AK>> Why "the crash" not "a crash"?
AS> Stevenson compares Jekyll's (I think) shock to that produced
AS> by a sudden, sharp, and loud sound. And cymbals, struck
AS> together with great force, make exactly such kind of sound.
AS> He is referring not to*a* specific instance of crashing-
AS> together of*a* specific pair of cymbals (there was none!),
AS> but to a general quality of that action as a rerefence.

I see your point.

--reference.

AS> P.S.: I don't know why people read J&H as their first (and
AS> often last) work by Stevenson, who is a great master
AS> of the short story.

Who are the people you are talking about? ;-)

There is a teaching school which practices such a method. They think it
is the most effective way to learn words, and they publish books like these:

https://i.ibb.co/0y1FZNh/Kaplan-books.jpg

Bye, Anton!
Alexander Koryagin
fido.english_tutor,local.cc.ak 2022
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Ardith Hinton:

Alexander & Anton are grownups who have chosen to read
such material. They might feel differently about it if
they were in junior high... [chuckle].

Oh, yes -- literature classes are a great method of
instilling a dislike for specific books. I hope it is the
reason they started teaching Solzhenitsyn in Russian school.

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Alexander & Anton are grownups who have chosen to read such material.
hey might feel differently about it if they were in junior high... [chuckle].

Most certainly so! <GRIN>

Mike


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