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Ask for help > What does "he did not trust the woman not to trust him" mean?
What does "he did not trust the woman not to trust him" mean?
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jwld
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What does "he did not trust the woman not to trust him" mean?
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the double negative got me confused...
thanks!  |
25 Feb 2012
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Apodo
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Please give more of the context. What were the words before and after? It sounds a bit odd.
If he believes she will behave in a certain way if she trusts him, and another if she doesn�t trust him, then he could be trying to guess her future actions.
He did not trust the child not to take another chocolate. = He thinks the child will take another chocolate. |
25 Feb 2012
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jwld
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it �s taken from a story (Thank You M �am) by Langston Hughes ,
http://www.americanliterature.com/Hughes/SS/ThankYouMam.html
here �s the whole paragraph:
In another corner of the room behind a screen was a gas plate and an icebox. Mrs. Jones got up and went behind the screen. The woman did not watch the boy to see if he was going to run now, nor did she watch her purse which she left behind her on the day-bed. But the boy took care to sit on the far side of the room where he thought she could easily see him out of the corner of her eye, if she wanted to. He did not trust the woman not to trust him. And he did not want to be mistrusted now.
Thanks! |
25 Feb 2012
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Apodo
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Because he had previously been trying to steal from her he has shown himself to be untrustworthy, but he has admitted his shame. She appears to trust him not to steal from her now. Her motivation for leaving him alone is to show her trust.
One would think that she wouldn�t trust him, but he doesn�t trust her to behave �normally�.
He did not trust the woman not to trust him = He does not think that she does not trust him
= He thinks she does trust him.
But he sits where he can be seen to ensure she has no cause to think otherwise. |
25 Feb 2012
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