Her mind was less difficult to develop.
- Thread starter jokker
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buddingtranslator
Senior Member
English, England
A synonym for "develop" in this case would be "grow". The sentence essentially means that it was easier to educate her than someone else. She was more given, or naturally inclined, to learn.
Thank you, buddingtranslator, and sorry that I can't understand very well of your words.buddingtranslator said:
Could you please explain more with my providing context?
Thank you.
Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three and twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character. Her mind was less difficult to develop. She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper.
buddingtranslator
Senior Member
English, England
That's ok. I understand it can be difficult.
This is a complicated sentence. Is it Charles Dickens, or Jane Austen? it means that Mr Bennet's wife is not as clever as her husband. That she is not intelligent. Is that clear now? What I said before was wrong.
This is a complicated sentence. Is it Charles Dickens, or Jane Austen? it means that Mr Bennet's wife is not as clever as her husband. That she is not intelligent. Is that clear now? What I said before was wrong.
aaahhh - context makes all a bit clearer.
His wife is young and innocent. She is what she seems and it is easy to understand her. I think that is meant by 'develop' here is that it her mind is less difficult to develop (an image of). If she says something, she really means it, or really believes it to be true. He, however, is reserved - he doesn't show his true feelings easily; he uses sarcastic humour - he may not mean what he says, but is just being funny; and he is carpricious - he does/says things on the spur of the moment, this makes him unpredictable.
His wife is young and innocent. She is what she seems and it is easy to understand her. I think that is meant by 'develop' here is that it her mind is less difficult to develop (an image of). If she says something, she really means it, or really believes it to be true. He, however, is reserved - he doesn't show his true feelings easily; he uses sarcastic humour - he may not mean what he says, but is just being funny; and he is carpricious - he does/says things on the spur of the moment, this makes him unpredictable.
maxiogee, I can understand all sentences you wrote but that one in bold. Do you mean to develop here means an image of ?maxiogee said:
Actually, though now I know better what the sentence means, I still do not understand what this "develop" means and why a mind that is less difficult to develop means innocent, easy to understand, and not that intelligent?
If I am try to see what your words or actions mean - and if I have never met you before, I need to try to imagine how you are thinking. Do you really mean what you say - the husband clearly doesn't always mean what he says as he is reserved ....
* which means that he is likely to understate what he thinks. Imagine him having a serious dislike of someone but he is not prepared to be so forthright so he will likely say "I don't really care for him", when what he means is "I hate him."
He uses sarcastic humour ....
* which means that when a woman is wearing a hideous dress he is likely to say "That material is so pretty it is a pity you are not wearing more of it" when what he means is "It's a good job you're not wearing more of it.
People like him are difficult for a stranger to understand. It is hard to see how they are thinking at any one time. We cannot develop an image, in our minds, of what their minds are like.
With his wife, who means anything she says it is easier to imagine how she thinks. That is what developing an image means - we gradually come to understand how other people's minds work. With some of them it is a lot easier to do than it is with others.
* which means that he is likely to understate what he thinks. Imagine him having a serious dislike of someone but he is not prepared to be so forthright so he will likely say "I don't really care for him", when what he means is "I hate him."
He uses sarcastic humour ....
* which means that when a woman is wearing a hideous dress he is likely to say "That material is so pretty it is a pity you are not wearing more of it" when what he means is "It's a good job you're not wearing more of it.
People like him are difficult for a stranger to understand. It is hard to see how they are thinking at any one time. We cannot develop an image, in our minds, of what their minds are like.
With his wife, who means anything she says it is easier to imagine how she thinks. That is what developing an image means - we gradually come to understand how other people's minds work. With some of them it is a lot easier to do than it is with others.
