I had hit upon the plan of removing it

[Walt Whitman]

From Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, chapter 8

Context: Hindley arrives home drunk and dangerous as he usually is. Nelly is frightened that he would hurt his son because when her master is drunk he enjoys playing with firearms.

I went to hide little Hareton, and to take the shot out of the master’s fowling piece, which he was fond of playing with in his insane excitement, to the hazard of the lives of any who provoked, or even attracted, his notice too much; and I had hit upon the plan of removing it, that he might do less mischief, if he did go the length of firing the gun.

I would simplify the underlined part to, “(to try and solve the problem) I had the idea of unloading his fowling piece”.
I’d want to ask whether the idea or the remedy one comes to is sudden and/or unexpected.

Thanks a lot
WW

 

[5jj]

Ww are told:

I went .... to take the shot out of the master’s fowling piece, ...and I had hit upon the plan of removing it, that he might do less mischief, if he did go the length of firing the gun.

I see no need to 'simplify' this.

I’d want to ask whether the idea or the remedy one comes to is sudden and/or unexpected.

There is no indication of this.

 

[Walt Whitman]

I see no need to 'simplify' this.

Why not, I wonder? Re-phrasings, re-wordings, and simplifications are so useful! For a non-native English learner as I am it’s an exercise of invaluable importance. It helps me acquire new vocabulary and test my grammar knowledge. But I need to ask you to check. I thought it was one of the goals of “Using English”. If not, I’m sorry and apologise.

WW

 

[Tarheel]

Ah, OK. You are saying that rewording it that way helps you understand it better.

 

[Walt Whitman]

Am I terribly far from the mark?

 

[jutfrank]

I would simplify the underlined part to, “I had the idea of unloading his fowling piece”.

You've changed the tense from past perfect to past simple, which is indeed a simplification grammatically speaking. Then you've changed the words 'plan' to 'idea' and 'removing' to 'unloading', neither change of which is a simplification. Finally, you've changed the pronoun 'it' to its referent 'fowling piece', which I suppose is a simplification in a sense.

What's the point of doing all this?

 

[Walt Whitman]

I suppose I should have said, "I would reword etc."

 

[emsr2d2]

Re-phrasings, re-wordings, and simplifications are so useful! ... I thought it was one of the goals of “Using English”.

In general, the goal of Using English is to help learners produce grammatically correct English. We sometimes reword/simplify something if the learner's level isn't high enough to understand whatever was written originally. We don't usually encourage learners to have simplification as a goal.

 

[jutfrank]

I suppose I should have said, "I would reword etc."

But why would you want to reword it? Great writers like Emily Brontë think very carefully about how they phrase their sentences, so I'm sure you're not trying to improve anything. What is it exactly that you're trying to do here?

 

[Walt Whitman]

In general, the goal of Using English is to help learners produce grammatically correct English. We sometimes reword/simplify something if the learner's level isn't high enough to understand whatever was written originally. We don't usually encourage learners to have simplification as a goal.

This is a more than reasonable response. I wish my English were of a high standard but, honestly, I don’t think it is. Therefore, I often need to consult native English speakers (and I’d also add “educated English speakers”).

I’ve been working on a simplified / reworded version of Wuthering Heights for a long time. It’s my “guilty pleasure”, sort of, and I don’t think I need to justify my project. I’ve been just trying to find a satisfactory rewriting of some (many actually) parts of the novel for personal use only. After that, I’m going to delve deeper into plot, characters and literary devices, outside of school.

Of course I accept the fact that you “don't usually encourage learners to have simplification as a goal,” but I’m sorry for the reason stated above.

Thanks a lot
WW

 

[jutfrank]

If post #10 was written by you alone, Walt Whitman, I can assure you that your English is at a very high level.

I still don't understand the point of trying to rewrite a great novel like Wuthering Heights, though. What do you mean by "a satisfactory rewriting"? Who are you trying satisfy? Yourself? If so, how do you determine whether your rewriting is satisfactory or not? What do you mean by "personal use"? You don't have to justify what you're doing but it has to make sense, right? If we don't grasp well enough what you're doing, we can't really help much.

Are you thinking of this kind of thing?:

Wuthering Heights in Plain and Simple English (Includes Study Guide, Complete Unabridged Book, Historical Context, Biography And

Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights” is considered one of the greatest novels ever wrote. It also can be difficult to understand--it is loaded with themes, imagery, and symbols. If you need a little help understanding it, let BookCaps help with this study guide.Along with chapter-by-chapter...

www.google.co.uk

Or this kind of thing?:

Wuthering Heights: Simplified Classic for English Learners

Read a simplified version of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, part of the Oxford Bookworms Library. Perfect for English language learners.

studylib.net

 

[Walt Whitman]

If post #10 was written by you alone, Walt Whitman, I can assure you that your English is at a very high level.

Thank you so much, jutfrank, and yes, it was written by me alone.

I’m sure that you, being a teacher, know Wuthering Heights quite well. Therefore this quote from the novel fits you perfectly (chapter 9):
(You are Nelly, I am Catherine: we’re just pretending)
Then I [Nelly] put her [Catherine] through the following catechism [...]

(1) What do you mean by "a satisfactory rewriting"? Who are you trying satisfy? Yourself?

Yes, myself.

(2) If so, how do you determine whether your rewriting is satisfactory or not?

By asking language forums like “Using English”. That’s why I asked you for help.

(3) What do you mean by "personal use"?

Exactly what “personal use” means. I don't have a hidden reason for asking you here.

(4) You don't have to justify what you're doing but it has to make sense, right?

Right. I hope it does make more sense now.

(5) I still don't understand the point of trying to rewrite a great novel like Wuthering Heights, though.

See above.
And yes, it’s great indeed. I read it for the first time at university. Then I read it again, and again, and again. I can definitely say that this book has been thoroughly engraved in my memory.
My students were excited when I told them the plot. Then we watched the movie(s), did book discussion groups, and projects. I miss all that very much.

May the Force be with you
WW

 

[jutfrank]

I’m sure that you, being a teacher, know Wuthering Heights quite well. Therefore this quote from the novel fits you perfectly (chapter 9):
(You are Nelly, I am Catherine: we’re just pretending)
Then I [Nelly] put her [Catherine] through the following catechism [...]

Thanks but I was hoping to be Heathcliff!

Right. I hope it does make more sense now.

Not really, no.

May the Force be with you

And with you.

 

[Walt Whitman]

Not really, no.

I'm exhausted. I give up.