Thursday, July 31, 2025

P20

 This is a beautiful and poignant passage about first love. Here are the explanations for some of the phrases and words you asked about.

Haunted now, Haunted by the ghost of her memory

This is a figurative way of describing how the character feels. When a place is haunted, it's believed to be visited by a ghost. In this story, the town of New Bern isn't literally haunted by a ghost, but by the memory of the woman he loved. He sees her "ghost" everywhere they went together. Her memory is so strong that it feels like she's still there.


Their place

This refers to a specific location that the two characters considered special to their relationship. It could be a spot they visited often, where they had a significant conversation, or where they simply spent a lot of time together. In this case, it was Fort Totten Park.


Fragments

This word means small, incomplete pieces of something. The narrator says that memories of his life before he met her are "simply fragments." This means he can't recall them in detail; he only remembers small, scattered bits and pieces. This emphasizes how much his time with her overshadowed everything that came before.


Evoked any feeling

To evoke a feeling means to bring a feeling to mind. The narrator's earlier memories didn't evoke any feeling, meaning they didn't stir up any emotions in him. This highlights how powerful his memories of her are—they are full of emotion, while his other memories are emotionally blank.


Paced in circles

This describes the action of an animal walking back and forth in a small area, often because it's anxious or restless. In this scene, the dog, Clem, is pacing before settling down, showing a bit of a nervous energy.

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