Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
sacred sentiment of conscious innocence that might redeem it
English answer:
a blessed feeling of knowing herself to be innocent ...
Added to glossary by
B D Finch
Jan 21, 2019 17:12
5 yrs ago
English term
sacred sentiment of conscious innocence that might redeem it
English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
Literature
A girl telling that she is planning to pretend death so as to get away from people around her. But she also feels bad about it
for indeed I felt only the degradation of falsehood, and not any sacred sentiment of conscious innocence that might redeem it.
I could not understand the last part of the sentence. What is the sacred sentiment and conscious innocence in this context? Could anybody explain and paraphase it to be understandable? Thank you so much in advance
for indeed I felt only the degradation of falsehood, and not any sacred sentiment of conscious innocence that might redeem it.
I could not understand the last part of the sentence. What is the sacred sentiment and conscious innocence in this context? Could anybody explain and paraphase it to be understandable? Thank you so much in advance
Responses
| 4 +3 | a blessed feeling of knowing herself to be innocent ... |
B D Finch
|
Change log
Jan 22, 2019 18:36: B D Finch Created KOG entry
Responses
+3
4 hrs
Selected
a blessed feeling of knowing herself to be innocent ...
This is from Mary Shelley's "Matilda", written in the early 19th century. The language is semi-religious and should not be tidied up by omission of religious terms. Such an omission would lose essential information about Matilda's feelings and motives.
Matilda is thinking about her concealment of the reason for her father's suicide. As that reason was Matilda's father's incestuous passion for her, presumably she feels degraded by what she is concealing as well as her need to lie about it and go along with other people's mistaken ideas about why her father killed himself. So, she doesn't feel conscious of her own innocence. Such a consciousness would be sacred/blessed and would excuse and give her redemption for lying about what had happened.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 21 hrs (2019-01-22 15:03:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
I've only scanned a bit of the book, but Matilda seems to be shown as a loving daughter to her father. If they were Church of England, then her father, as a suicide, would have been denied a Christian burial. She would have, probably, felt guilt about the incestuous passion that he had confessed to her and, therefore, guilt about his suicide and the damnation of his soul. Until 1882, in England, burials of suicides had to be carried out between 9pm and midnight. That would have been a really heavy burden.
Matilda is thinking about her concealment of the reason for her father's suicide. As that reason was Matilda's father's incestuous passion for her, presumably she feels degraded by what she is concealing as well as her need to lie about it and go along with other people's mistaken ideas about why her father killed himself. So, she doesn't feel conscious of her own innocence. Such a consciousness would be sacred/blessed and would excuse and give her redemption for lying about what had happened.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 21 hrs (2019-01-22 15:03:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
I've only scanned a bit of the book, but Matilda seems to be shown as a loving daughter to her father. If they were Church of England, then her father, as a suicide, would have been denied a Christian burial. She would have, probably, felt guilt about the incestuous passion that he had confessed to her and, therefore, guilt about his suicide and the damnation of his soul. Until 1882, in England, burials of suicides had to be carried out between 9pm and midnight. That would have been a really heavy burden.
Note from asker:
| thanksss so much. You are amazing! |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
British Diana
11 hrs
|
|
Thanks Diana
|
|
| neutral |
Yvonne Gallagher
: I think "sacred" means more like "cherished" "precious" here. "conscious innocence" is being innocent like a child with a vague feeling that something is wrong. Here, she knows it's wrong thus hasn't got precious "conscious innocence" as redeeming factor
14 hrs
|
|
Something sacred would, certainly, be precious, but the language is clearly, consistently religious.
|
|
| agree |
katsy
: I would say that sacred is to be taken literally -ie, blessed as in religious, blessed by God. When you know you are innocent (conscious innocence), then the falsehood may be redeemed, ie forgiven . // not human forgiveness, absolutely! Redeemed is clear!
14 hrs
|
|
Thanks katsy. I understand her lack of "conscious innocence" to mean that her falsehood couldn't be redeemed and her soul saved. So, it wouldn't be human forgiveness that she hoped for.
|
|
| agree |
Suharti Ningsih
6 days
|
|
Thanks Suhati
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "thanksss again for helping me!"
Discussion
I.e. she feels only shame, instead of the comfort of acting in the name of a righteous justification ("sacred sentiment") that would let her make a stand and protect herself ("conscious innocence") against whatever negative things that she's trying to get away from.
I wouldn't replace or drop them entirely though, if only because IMO "sacred" might tie to "redeem".