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nothing and space and please

English translation: not nonsense

01:40 Aug 10, 2004
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
English term or phrase: nothing and space and please
they know what they want, especially those who've lived this centruy, forced from one space to another like Mr. De Winter (ne Wojciech), renamed, rebranded, the answer to every questionaire nothing nothing space please just space nothing please nothing space

This is the last paragraph of Chapter 19, White Teeth. I guess these nothing and space nonsenses refer to the answers to the questionaire, and the "please" may be words uttered by ticket collectors at the gate. Any inputs? Thanks.
Zhoudan
Local time: 23:42
Selected answer:not nonsense
Explanation:
My opinion:
By fragmenting and compacting without punctuation the answers to the hypothetical question, "What do you want?", the novel imitates a stream-of-consciousness style but really crunches the eternal reply, "Nothing, just space, please." The implication is that we all want the same thing, whether immigrants or natives: sufficient acceptance to be left to our own devices, simply permission to be ourselves.
Selected response from:

Refugio
Local time: 08:42
Grading comment
Great answer! Thank you, Ruth!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +8not nonsense
Refugio


  

Answers


33 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +8
not nonsense


Explanation:
My opinion:
By fragmenting and compacting without punctuation the answers to the hypothetical question, "What do you want?", the novel imitates a stream-of-consciousness style but really crunches the eternal reply, "Nothing, just space, please." The implication is that we all want the same thing, whether immigrants or natives: sufficient acceptance to be left to our own devices, simply permission to be ourselves.

Refugio
Local time: 08:42
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 120
Grading comment
Great answer! Thank you, Ruth!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Nazim Aziz Gokdemir: Nice interpretation. I think it's obvious the conversation takes place inside the emigrant's head; Smith also takes advantage of the dual meaning of "space."
57 mins
  -> Right, Nazim, nothing to do with ticket collectors, eh?
agree  Mikhail Kropotov: i think you've figured it out! ADDED: sorry, I don't understand which one
5 hrs
  -> Thank you, Sir. I had not Realized that this question was an echo of your response to one of my previous answers.
agree  Vicky Papaprodromou
6 hrs
  -> Thanks, Vicky
agree  Rajan Chopra
6 hrs
  -> Thanks, langclinic
agree  Orla Ryan
6 hrs
  -> Thanks, Orla
agree  Will Matter
7 hrs
  -> Thanks, Will
agree  Ramesh Madhavan
7 hrs
  -> Thanks, Ramesh
agree  Nanny Wintjens
1 day 6 hrs
  -> Thank you, N. Wintjens
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