Need help with understanding a sentence!

[Hugo_Lin]

The following is a sentence from The Old Man and The Sea:


The sail was patched with flour sacks and, furled, it looked like the flag of permanent defeat.


Is "furled" a shortened form of "when furled"? Otherwise I have difficulty understanding this sentence.

Many thanks in advance.

[bhaisahab]

The following is a sentence from The Old Man and The Sea:


The sail was patched with flour sacks and, furled, it looked like the flag of permanent defeat.


Is "furled" a shortened form of "when furled"? Otherwise I have difficulty understanding this sentence.

Many thanks in advance.

Yes, it is.

[Rover_KE]

Please note that a better title would have been 'Furled' as that is the word you are puzzled about.

'Thread titles should include all or part of the word/phrase being discussed.' (Posting Guidelines)

Rover