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Question: I need help comprehending this sentence!?
This sentence was in a American revolution book!. For some reason I want to know what it means, I do not want to skip it!. Therefore, I need some help!.
"The other members were mostly younger men in their thirties and forties, old enough to have lived and fought and thought through the crowded years of the Revolution, old enough to have digested the significance of those years, not old enough to think them all vanity and vexation of spirit!."
This is the part I don't understand!.!. the vanity and vexation of the spirit!.
I looked up dictionary and
vanity means self-importance or excessive pride
vexation means trouble, distress, or annoy!.
Does it mean the members were lacking spirit or having too much since self-importance and at the same time distress and troubled by it!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
I think he's referring to the idea that as some people age and become bitter, they may see the things that they fought for as meaningless, or at least having become meaningless in the hands of younger generations!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
It means they were old enough to live through it, but they weren't old enough to realize that it was all hype!. In many revolutions it only seems like everything turns out good, but underneath it all there is fighting, poverty, and other downsides!. Those were the things they didn't see!. Vanity is usually referring to beauty and appeal!. So basically, they weren't old enough to realize how hard the revolution was!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Age helps you put things in perspective, not necessarily to become bitter or resentful (gosh, that's a negative take on it!), but to realize that some of the things you thought were important when you were younger lose their significance as you get older!.!.!.because you are able to view them from a distance!. The things we are all gung-ho for when we're young and idealistic, we look back on and realize they were vain endeavors or perhaps not worthy of our emotional responses (i!.e!. vexations)!.
That's a rather literary, almost poetic analysis for a history text!. The phrase "vanity and vexation of spirit" is from Ecclesiastes, and probably should have been in quotes!. Not sure if that helps, but it's an interesting choice of phrases!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I think it means that at their age, the men were old enough to have lived through the Revolution, but young enough that they DID NOT see those years as "lacking in spirit" or "having too much self-importance"!. I think the "vanity and vexation" refers to those years, not to the men!.
Hope this is helpful!.Www@QuestionHome@Com