compensation

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Taka  #513197  Tue, 13 May 08 05:18 PM
・Whenever society demands of a mother sacrifices to her child which go beyond reason, the mother will except from the child compensations exceeding those she has a right to expect.

 

How would you interpret the 'compensations' above in that context?

  
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Old Man Gordon  #513198  Tue, 13 May 08 05:26 PM

I would interpret it as 'repayment'.

except?--Maybe you meant expect. 

By the way, I don't agree with this statement at all.  Many mothers are loving and self-sacrificing and expect nothing in return for their love, except the love of their child.

  
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Marius Hancu  #513208  Tue, 13 May 08 06:06 PM
 will expect/accept from
  
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Taka  #513210  Tue, 13 May 08 06:08 PM
 Does your repayment mean 'repaying his/her mother for raising him/her'?

 

You don't agree with the statement. I see. For your information, here is the entire original text:

 

Whenever society demands of a mother sacrifices to her child which go beyond reason, the mother, if  she is not unusually saintly, will expect from her child compensations exceeding those she has a right to expect. The mother who is conventionally called self-sacrificing is, in a great majority of cases, exceptionally selfish towards her children, for, important as parenthood is as an element in life, it is not satisfying if it is treated as the whole of life, and the unsatisfied parent is likely to be an emotionally greedy parent.

  
Taka  #513213  Tue, 13 May 08 06:15 PM
Oh, I fixed the except part right after I posed the message.

You respond really quickly! 

And the 'fro' in the original should have been 'for'—damn, I can't fix it.  I fixed it for you - GG

  
Grammar Geek  #513239  Tue, 13 May 08 07:45 PM

Such a strange passage! I too interpret the word to be "repayment."

  
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Taka  #513390  Wed, 14 May 08 04:11 AM
GG, what do you mean by 'a strange passage'? Grammatically strange? Such a strange writing style that it sounds like old English? Or the message is strange?

 

(Thank you for fixing it, GG)

  
Raen  #513402  Wed, 14 May 08 04:51 AM

Taka, I find the message of the passage very interesting.

Is it discribing parenthood of particular culture/country? I am very curious.

 

Raen

  
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Grammar Geek  #513406  Wed, 14 May 08 04:59 AM

I find the content strange.

What obligations can society impose beyond what is reasonable? And how can a parent extract compensation? Parents who "overdo" for their children do so out of their OWN will or internal compulsion, not societal obligation. (Unless perhaps they're talking about parents of severely disabled children who require a very intense level of care? ) If I choose to make my children the center of my universe, how can I possibly require them to repay me for my decisions?

 

  
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