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Can't make sense of a paragraph from Lovecraft

What’s the role of ‘because’ in this conversation?What exactly is a run-on paragraph?When to repeat a paragraph?Does “Here's an example” end a paragraph, or continue it?What is the paragraph trying to convey?Interesting newspaper headlineUsage of 'it' in starting of paragraphDoes “His eyes fell shut” make sense?Can one start a paragraph with the word “also”?do you have to indent when writing one paragraph?

3

1

I decided to start reading some work of Lovecraft, then I got stuck at the first paragraph I encountered:

The horrible conclusion which had been gradually obtruding itself upon my confused and reluctant mind was now an awful certainty. I was lost, completely, hopelessly lost in the vast and labyrinthine recesses of the Mammoth Cave. Turn as I might, in no direction could my straining vision seize on any object capable of serving as a guidepost to set me on the outward path. That nevermore should I behold the blessed light of day, or scan the pleasant hills and dales of the beautiful world outside, my reason could no longer entertain the slightest unbelief. Hope had departed. Yet, indoctrinated as I was by a life of philosophical study, I derived no small measure of satisfaction from my unimpassioned demeanour; for although I had frequently read of the wild frenzies into which were thrown the victims of similar situations, I experienced none of these, but stood quiet as soon as I clearly realised the loss of my bearings.

I think I managed to understand each separate clauses, but the logical relationships among them get me really confused.

I have no idea why the author used "yet" "for" and "but" at the place where I marked them in boldface. I also don't know why he wrote "my reason could no longer entertain the slightest unbelief", which means "my reason could not hold unbelif" if I'm not mistaken. Shouldn't he express something like "my reason could not hold belif"?

I'm feeling kind of frustrated now, could anyone help me figure it out?

Edit: Thanks to Greg Lee's answer now I get a sense of what the author want to convey. But I'm still not sure if I understand the exact function of these three words "yet" "for" and "but". Is this "yet" related to "indoctrinated ... demeanour" (the the sentence followed until semicolon) or "indoctrinated ... bearings" (the sentence followed until period)? Does this "for" stand for "beacause"? If so, I find this "because ... but ..." sentence struture really weird...

meaning-in-context conjunctions literature paragraphs

share|improve this question

edited 17 mins ago

Censi LI

asked 2 hours ago

Censi LICensi LI

1358

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  My advice is to take it as a lesson learned, and seek more sane passages... pretty much anywhere. Lovecraftian characters are not, in my personal experience, more prone to insanity than Lovecraftian fans.
  
  – Ed Grimm
  47 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @EdGrimm Well, in fact I'm a Lovecraftian fan who have only read Lovecrafe in translation, and based on my personal experience, I have to agree with you...
  
  – Censi LI
  30 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

3

1

I decided to start reading some work of Lovecraft, then I got stuck at the first paragraph I encountered:

The horrible conclusion which had been gradually obtruding itself upon my confused and reluctant mind was now an awful certainty. I was lost, completely, hopelessly lost in the vast and labyrinthine recesses of the Mammoth Cave. Turn as I might, in no direction could my straining vision seize on any object capable of serving as a guidepost to set me on the outward path. That nevermore should I behold the blessed light of day, or scan the pleasant hills and dales of the beautiful world outside, my reason could no longer entertain the slightest unbelief. Hope had departed. Yet, indoctrinated as I was by a life of philosophical study, I derived no small measure of satisfaction from my unimpassioned demeanour; for although I had frequently read of the wild frenzies into which were thrown the victims of similar situations, I experienced none of these, but stood quiet as soon as I clearly realised the loss of my bearings.

I think I managed to understand each separate clauses, but the logical relationships among them get me really confused.

I have no idea why the author used "yet" "for" and "but" at the place where I marked them in boldface. I also don't know why he wrote "my reason could no longer entertain the slightest unbelief", which means "my reason could not hold unbelif" if I'm not mistaken. Shouldn't he express something like "my reason could not hold belif"?

I'm feeling kind of frustrated now, could anyone help me figure it out?

Edit: Thanks to Greg Lee's answer now I get a sense of what the author want to convey. But I'm still not sure if I understand the exact function of these three words "yet" "for" and "but". Is this "yet" related to "indoctrinated ... demeanour" (the the sentence followed until semicolon) or "indoctrinated ... bearings" (the sentence followed until period)? Does this "for" stand for "beacause"? If so, I find this "because ... but ..." sentence struture really weird...

meaning-in-context conjunctions literature paragraphs

share|improve this question

edited 17 mins ago

Censi LI

asked 2 hours ago

Censi LICensi LI

1358

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  My advice is to take it as a lesson learned, and seek more sane passages... pretty much anywhere. Lovecraftian characters are not, in my personal experience, more prone to insanity than Lovecraftian fans.
  
  – Ed Grimm
  47 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @EdGrimm Well, in fact I'm a Lovecraftian fan who have only read Lovecrafe in translation, and based on my personal experience, I have to agree with you...
  
  – Censi LI
  30 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

I decided to start reading some work of Lovecraft, then I got stuck at the first paragraph I encountered:

The horrible conclusion which had been gradually obtruding itself upon my confused and reluctant mind was now an awful certainty. I was lost, completely, hopelessly lost in the vast and labyrinthine recesses of the Mammoth Cave. Turn as I might, in no direction could my straining vision seize on any object capable of serving as a guidepost to set me on the outward path. That nevermore should I behold the blessed light of day, or scan the pleasant hills and dales of the beautiful world outside, my reason could no longer entertain the slightest unbelief. Hope had departed. Yet, indoctrinated as I was by a life of philosophical study, I derived no small measure of satisfaction from my unimpassioned demeanour; for although I had frequently read of the wild frenzies into which were thrown the victims of similar situations, I experienced none of these, but stood quiet as soon as I clearly realised the loss of my bearings.

I think I managed to understand each separate clauses, but the logical relationships among them get me really confused.

I have no idea why the author used "yet" "for" and "but" at the place where I marked them in boldface. I also don't know why he wrote "my reason could no longer entertain the slightest unbelief", which means "my reason could not hold unbelif" if I'm not mistaken. Shouldn't he express something like "my reason could not hold belif"?

I'm feeling kind of frustrated now, could anyone help me figure it out?

Edit: Thanks to Greg Lee's answer now I get a sense of what the author want to convey. But I'm still not sure if I understand the exact function of these three words "yet" "for" and "but". Is this "yet" related to "indoctrinated ... demeanour" (the the sentence followed until semicolon) or "indoctrinated ... bearings" (the sentence followed until period)? Does this "for" stand for "beacause"? If so, I find this "because ... but ..." sentence struture really weird...

meaning-in-context conjunctions literature paragraphs

share|improve this question

edited 17 mins ago

Censi LI

asked 2 hours ago

Censi LICensi LI

1358

share|improve this question

edited 17 mins ago

Censi LI

asked 2 hours ago

Censi LICensi LI

1358

share|improve this question

edited 17 mins ago

Censi LI

asked 2 hours ago

Censi LICensi LI

1358

asked 2 hours ago

Censi LICensi LI

1358

asked 2 hours ago

Censi LICensi LI

1358

1 Answer
1

active

oldest

votes

4

"my reason could no longer entertain the slightest unbelief" means "I could no longer doubt". He was convinced that he would never again see the light of day. He goes on to say that he was pleased with himself that he could accept this terrible turn of events with equanimity.

The prose style is deliberately impenetrable.

share|improve this answer

answered 1 hour ago

Greg LeeGreg Lee

14.5k2931

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Thanks you very much! Now I get a sense of what the author want to convey. But I'm still not sure if I understand the exact function of these three words "yet" "for" and "but". I've added more about my confusion to the post. Hopefully you are willing to spend more time on my question, thanks in advance...
  
  – Censi LI
  12 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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4

"my reason could no longer entertain the slightest unbelief" means "I could no longer doubt". He was convinced that he would never again see the light of day. He goes on to say that he was pleased with himself that he could accept this terrible turn of events with equanimity.

The prose style is deliberately impenetrable.

share|improve this answer

answered 1 hour ago

Greg LeeGreg Lee

14.5k2931

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Thanks you very much! Now I get a sense of what the author want to convey. But I'm still not sure if I understand the exact function of these three words "yet" "for" and "but". I've added more about my confusion to the post. Hopefully you are willing to spend more time on my question, thanks in advance...
  
  – Censi LI
  12 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

4

"my reason could no longer entertain the slightest unbelief" means "I could no longer doubt". He was convinced that he would never again see the light of day. He goes on to say that he was pleased with himself that he could accept this terrible turn of events with equanimity.

The prose style is deliberately impenetrable.

share|improve this answer

answered 1 hour ago

Greg LeeGreg Lee

14.5k2931

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Thanks you very much! Now I get a sense of what the author want to convey. But I'm still not sure if I understand the exact function of these three words "yet" "for" and "but". I've added more about my confusion to the post. Hopefully you are willing to spend more time on my question, thanks in advance...
  
  – Censi LI
  12 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

"my reason could no longer entertain the slightest unbelief" means "I could no longer doubt". He was convinced that he would never again see the light of day. He goes on to say that he was pleased with himself that he could accept this terrible turn of events with equanimity.

The prose style is deliberately impenetrable.

share|improve this answer

answered 1 hour ago

Greg LeeGreg Lee

14.5k2931

share|improve this answer

answered 1 hour ago

Greg LeeGreg Lee

14.5k2931

answered 1 hour ago

Greg LeeGreg Lee

14.5k2931

answered 1 hour ago

Greg LeeGreg Lee

14.5k2931