meaning of the word "dismay"

[Mad-ox]

hi,


I would like to know the meaning of the word "dismay" in the following context: ( please illustrate your answers in a another sentence or give me a synonym of this word )


CONTEXT: He utilizes a narrative, a mixture of humor, reflection and irony and dismay at his youthful follies and errors.


Madox

[apex2000]

Dismay = alarm, distress, consternation.

He utilizes a narrative, a mixture of humour, reflection and irony and (dismay) consternation at his youthful follies and errors.

He is reflecting upon his youth and realises, with dismay, that his follies and errors were distressful; but uses humour, irony and dismay to present them in a lighter context so as to be not as bad as he believes them to be upon reflection.

[Mad-ox]

Dismay = alarm, distress, consternation.

He utilizes a narrative, a mixture of humour, reflection and irony and (dismay) consternation at his youthful follies and errors.

He is reflecting upon his youth and realises, with dismay, that his follies and errors were distressful; but uses humour, irony and dismay to present them in a lighter context so as to be not as bad as he believes them to be upon reflection.

thanks a lot apex2000

[poltilak]

"He utilizes a narrative, a mixture of humour, reflection and irony and (dismay) consternation at his youthful follies and errors."
[S+v+o] Who utilizes -He
He utilizes WHAT?- [The object]- 'a narrative, a mixture of humour, reflection'
and = the co-coordinating conjunction that breaks the first part of the sentence.
'dismay' is the second verb for which 'He' is the subject.OK

[apex2000]

"He utilizes a narrative, a mixture of humour, reflection and irony and (dismay) consternation at his youthful follies and errors."
[S+v+o] Who utilizes -He
He utilizes WHAT?- [The object]- 'a narrative, a mixture of humour, reflection'
and = the co-coordinating conjunction that breaks the first part of the sentence.
'dismay' is the second verb for which 'He' is the subject.OK

You have come across this thread long after the discussion started and it is not surprising that you have questions.
First of all 'to dismay': that means 'to appal or alarm' as a verb - he was dismayed to learn that the train had left. We were greatly dismayed by the loss of life due to the tsunami.
But 'dismay' is also a noun: alarm or consternation.

Secondly, he utilizes a narrative; narrative is the object which is then described by 'a mixture of humor, reflection and irony and dismay at his youthful follies and errors'. Strictly speaking there should not be 'and' between reflection and irony, just another comma. Then 'and dismay at his youthful follies and errors' is a continuation of the description of the narrative, OR, could be set apart as an additional statement.
The whole sentence is not completely clear as it could be read in two ways; and that is just a part of English language confusion and understanding. If you were listening to the sentence spoken by the author his meaning would be clear from the inflection used. As the written word it is not so helpful.
Does this help?