"she works on the feeling of being deprived of her mother", What is she exactly doing?How shall I understand "work on" here?
By dennislv
@dennislv (134)
Shanghai, China
October 11, 2013 2:55am CST
Which understanding is correct:
1. She does her work with a feeling of being orphaned or isolated.
2. She trys to deal with her lonely feeling.
1 response
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
11 Oct 13
The second one is the more correct interpretation.
"To work on" something means to do something to further or improve or perfect it with the end in view.
Here, it may mean that the person in question is 'working on' the feelings in order to gain other people's sympathy. In other words, the 'work' she is doing is to secretly enhance her feelings of loss and to court the sympathy of others for her own gratification - not a very desirable way of overcoming her state of deprivation!
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@mythociate (21432)
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
12 Oct 13
@dennislv No, more like 'she is learning to add the feeling of bereavement into her regular life' or 'she's trying to get used to the way life is without her mother (who--I presume--was an integral part of her life up to now)'
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