themselves

[EUNJJUNG]

I'm reading an article called "Binge Drinking as a Substitute for a 'Community of Learning'" by Kenneth Bruffee.
I have one question.

"They were trying as hard as I was to conceal from everyone, including themselves, that they, too, were green, scared, lonely, and small-town."

Where is the underlined phrase being decorated?
It means that "I was to conceal from everyone, including them"?

 

[GoesStation]

Where is the underlined phrase being decorated?

I don't understand what you mean. "Decorated" is not the word you want.

Does it [STRIKE]means that[/STRIKE] mean "I was to conceal from everyone, including them"?

No. Here's a simplified version of the sentence: They were trying as hard as I was to conceal from everyone that they were green, scared, lonely, and small-town [people]. I've highlighted the different parts in different colors. As you can see, it doesn't really say "I was to conceal". Does that help?

 

[EUNJJUNG]

Oh, I mean what is the underlined phrase modifying?

 

[GoesStation]

I mean, what is the underlined phrase modifying?

"Everyone".

 

[jutfrank]

I think it's the first part of the sentence (the bit GoesStation colored blue) that's confusing you. It might help to remove as hard as I was, like this:

They were trying to conceal from everyone, including themselves, that they, too, were green, scared, lonely, and small-town.