Attaching Pronouns to Verbs

Attaching Pronouns to Verbs Spanish pronouns and verbs are usually written as separate words when adjacent. But there are three instances where object pronouns can or must be attached to the verbs they accompany, making the written form of verbpronoun appear as a single word. Reasons To Attach Pronouns Here are some examples of verbs and pronouns being combined, with the pronouns shown in boldface: Quiero comprarlo. (I want to buy it. Comprar and lo are listed as separate words in dictionaries.) ¡Olvà ­dalo! (Forget it! Olvida and lo are usually separate words.)Seguirn comprndolo aà ±o tras aà ±o. (They will keep on buying it year after year.) ¡Bà ©same ahora! (Kiss me now!)Me lo llevo a casa para estudiarlo. (I am taking it home to study it.)No puedo verla. (I cant see it.) As you might be able to infer from these examples, the three types of verb forms that object pronouns can be attached to are these: Infinitives (the form of the verb that ends in -ar, -er or -ir).Gerunds (the form of the verb that ends in -ando or -endo).Affirmative commands (but not negative ones). In all cases, the pronunciation of the verb with the pronoun attached is the same as if they were separate words. But in writing, an accent is sometimes required, as in some of the above examples, with gerunds and affirmative commands, to make certain that the accent remains on the correct syllable. It also is possible to attach two object pronouns to a single verb: Puedes decà ­rmelo. (You can say it to me.) In such cases, the accent is always necessary. Pronouns Attached to Infinitives When an infinitive is used with another verb, the pronoun or pronouns can be attached to the infinitive but dont have to be. In such cases, the pronoun or pronouns can come before or after the verbinfinitive. In the following examples, either form is acceptable: Lo quiero comprar. Quiero comprarlo. (I want to buy it.)Me hizo leerlo. Me lo hizo leer. (She made me read it.)Espero verte. Te espero ver. (I hope to see you)Las voy a estudiar. Voy a estudiarlas. (I am going to study them.)Lo tengo que comer. Tengo que comerlo. (I have to eat it.)No lo puedo comprender. No puedo comprenderlo. (I cant understand it.)Lo detesto saber. Detesto saberlo. (I hate knowing it.) Note how these forms dont require a written accent. The stress of an infinitive is always on the last syllable, and all the personal pronouns end in a vowel or s, putting the stress on the next-to-last syllable anyway. When an infinitive is used as a noun- such as when it follows a preposition or is used as the subject of a sentence- attachment of the pronoun is required: Conocerte es amarte. (To know you is to love you.)Una manera muy simple de comprenderlo es observarlo. (A very simple way of understanding it is to observe it.)Pulsa sobre la fotografà ­a para verme con mi nueva familia. (Click on the photograph to see me with my new family.)Mi mayor miedo es conocerme a mà ­ mismo. (My biggest fear is knowing my very self.)No hay razà ³n para ofenderos. (There is no reason for offending you.) Pronouns Attached to Gerunds The rules for gerunds are similar to those for infinitives. When a gerund is used preceded by another verb, the pronoun can be placed before the other verb but not between the other verb and the gerund. When a gerund stands by itself, the pronoun typically is attached. Some examples: La estoy buscando. Estoy buscndola. (I am looking for it.)Seguirà © estudindolo. Lo seguirà © estudiando. (I will keep on studying it.)Leyà ©ndolo, tendrs à ©xito. (By reading it youll be successful.)Nos estn dominando. Estn dominndonos. (They are dominating us.) Note the use of written accents with the gerund. Pronouns Attached to Affirmative Commands Object pronouns typically are placed attached to affirmative commands (a command in which someone is told to do something), but before negative commands (a command in which an adverb of negation, usually no, is used). Some examples:  ¡Cà ³melo! (Eat it!) ¡No lo comas! (Dont eat it!)Mà ­renme. (Look at me.)No me miren. (Dont look at me.)Està ºdiala. (Study it.)No la estudie. (Dont study it.)

Noras Monologue from A Dolls House

Nora's Monologue from A Doll's House A Dolls House is a play by renowned Norwegian playwright, Henrik Ibsen. Challenging marital norms and featuring strong feminist themes, the play was widely celebrated as well as criticized when it was first performed in 1879. Here is a breakdown of Noras revealing monologue near the end of the play. For the complete script, there are many translations of A Dolls House. The edition by Oxford University is recommended; it comes complete with A Dolls House and three other plays by  Henrik Ibsen. Setting the Scene In this definitive scene, the naà ¯ve yet often contriving Nora has a startling epiphany. She once believed that her husband, Torvald, was a proverbial knight in shining armor and that she was an equally devoted wife. Through a series of emotionally draining events, she realizes that their relationship and their feelings were more make-believe than real. In her  monologue from Henrik Ibsen’s play, she opens up to her husband with stunning frankness as she realizes that she has been living in A Doll’s House. Doll as Metaphor Throughout the monologue, Nora compares herself to a doll. Like how a little girl plays with lifeless dolls that move in whichever way the girl wishes, Nora likens herself to a doll in the hands of the men in her life. Referring to her father, Nora recalls: He called me his doll-child, and he played with me just as I used to play with my dolls.   In using the doll as a metaphor, she realizes her role as a woman in a mans society is ornamental, something cute to look at like a doll-child. Further, a doll is meant to be used by the user. Thus this comparison also refers to how women are expected to be molded by the men in their lives in terms of tastes, interests, and what they do with their lives. Nora continues in her monologue. In thinking of her life with her husband, she realizes in retrospect: I was your little skylark, your doll, which you would in  future  treat with doubly gentle  care,  because it was so brittle and fragile. In describing a doll as brittle and fragile, Nora means that these are the character traits of women through the male gaze. From that perspective, because women are so dainty, it necessitates that men like Torvald need to protect and take care of women like Nora. Role of Women By describing how she has been treated, Nora reveals the way women are treated in society at that time (and perhaps still resonates with women today). Again referring to her father, Nora mentions:   When I was at home with papa, he told me his opinion about everything, and so I had the same opinions; and if I differed from him I concealed the  fact,  because he would not have liked it. Similarly, she addresses Torvald by saying:   You arranged everything according to your own taste, and so I got the same tastes as youor else I pretended to. Both of these short anecdotes show that Nora feels that her opinions have been disregarded or suppressed in order to please her father or to mold her tastes according to those of her husbands.   Self-Realization In the monologue, Nora reaches self-realization in a fit of existential fervor as she exclaims: When I look back on it, it seems to me as if I had been living here like a poor womanjust from hand to mouth. I have existed merely to perform tricks for you...You and papa have committed a great sin against me. It is your fault that I have made nothing of my life...Oh! I cant bear to think of it! I could tear myself into little bits!