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AP English Literature and Composition 1.3 Passage Drill 7. What is the meaning of the phrase "lady of fortune" as it is used in line 4?
- Product Type / AP English Literature
- English / Imagery and Figurative Language
- Literary / Figurative Language in Historical/Cultural Setting
- Vocabulary / Determine meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words
- Vocabulary / Determine meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words
- Diction and Syntax / Inferring meanings of words and phrases
Transcript
- 00:03
You can't handle the Shmoop!
- 00:08
Pause and review, you know the drill.
- 00:51
What is the meaning of the phrase "lady of fortune" as it is used in line 5?
- 00:56
And here are the potential answers:
- 01:02
Ah, "lady of fortune" that's the game show where you spin the lady for the chance to
Full Transcript
- 01:06
win cash and fabulous prizes...
- 01:09
Correction: that one was canceled. Too many complaints.
- 01:13
Mainly from the lady that people were spinning. What does "lady of fortune" mean here? Let's
- 01:18
examine line 5 to find out, but just so we have some context, let's actually re-read
- 01:23
the entire first paragraph as well:
- 01:29
There once lived, in a sequestered part of the county of Devonshire, one Mr. Godfrey
- 01:33
Nickleby: a worthy gentleman, who, taking it into his head rather late in life that
- 01:38
he must get married, and not being young enough or rich enough to aspire to the hand of a
- 01:43
lady of fortune, had wedded an old flame out of mere attachment, who in her turn had taken
- 01:50
him for the same reason. Thus two people who cannot afford to play cards for money, sometimes
- 01:55
sit down to a quiet game for love.
- 01:58
The part that refers to a "lady of fortune" is implying that Nickleby would have loved
- 02:02
to marry a lady of fortune...
- 02:04
...but he started a little late in the game, and didn't have much moolah. So, he was old
- 02:09
and broke. Not really how you want to start your Match.com profile.
- 02:13
So, which of our answer choices sounds like the type of person who wouldn't be interested
- 02:19
in an old, broke guy?
- 02:21
A is out because Lady Luck isn't even a real lady...
- 02:25
C, D and E are out, because as much as prostitutes, pirates and gamblers all like money...
- 02:30
...they're not necessarily looking to marry someone with a lot of booty.
- 02:34
A wealthy lady, on the other hand, is probably accustomed to a certain lifestyle she wouldn't
- 02:38
want to relinquish...
- 02:39
...so she's probably on the lookout for an equally wealthy gentleman.
- 02:43
The correct answer is B.
- 02:45
Sorry, Nickleby. No champagne wishes or caviar dreams for you, sir.
- 03:03
for you, sir.
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