From "Dandelion Wine" Ray Bradbury

[andrei77702]

Good day!
Quote: "A whole summer ahead to cross off the calendar, day by day. Like the goddess Siva in the travel books, he saw his hands jump everywhere, pluck sour apples, peaches, and midnight plums."
What's the meaning of the word "jump" in this case: is it noun or verb? The structure of the sencence suggests "jumping everywhere"/, i think, and "plucking sour apples". Why those members of the sentence applied in the simple tense?

 

[Jill Dorchester]

In this instance, "jump" is a verb. Douglas, the protagonist, is lying in bed picturing all of the fun things he's going to do in the summer. He is picturing his hands grasping fruit from different trees quickly, almost in a frenzy, so he uses the word "jump".

He uses the simple tense because he is narrating the image as if he is an outside viewer watching a scene in real time. But you are correct, the meaning would be the same if he had said his hands were "jumping" everywhere and he was "plucking" fruit.

 

[andrei77702]

Thanks a lot! :up:

 

[Rover_KE]

andrei, there is no need to write a new post just to say "Thank you". It makes us think there is new information or a follow-up question and we spend time opening the thread. Simply click on the "Thank" button at the bottom left-hand corner of any post you find helpful.

 

[Jill Dorchester]

::::Basking in a specially posted "Thanks" and thumbs up for the last time.... ::::: :lol: