English Language & Usage Asked on April 5, 2021
I am quoting from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, The Musgrave Ritual by Arthur Conan Doyle:
I am confused by the usage of ‘above’ in this sentence. I usually use ‘of’ or ‘about’ after the adjective ‘proud’ but never ‘above’. could you throw some light please?
A fuller quotation, repeated in at least two sources, is:
I was surprised to find that the butler had returned, and was standing before me.
“Mr. Musgrave, sir,” he cried, in a voice which was hoarse with emotion, “I can’t bear disgrace, sir. I’ve always been proud above my station in life, and disgrace would kill me. My blood will be on your head, sir—it will, indeed—if you drive me to despair. If you cannot keep me after what has passed, then for God’s sake let me give you notice and leave in a month, as if of my own free will. I could stand that, Mr. Musgrave, but not to be cast out before all the folk that I know so well.”
Project Gutenberg or see: Lit2Go
At that time (late 1800s) it was common for people to refer to their "station in life". The notion was based on the proposition that people had a position relative to others determined by any or all of their role, wealth, background, employment, qualifications, nature and family connections.
One of the concise definitions is:
station = Standing, Rank: "a woman of high station"
Hence the butler would have been aware of, and would have valued, his status in life as a butler. It would probably have been a position reached with some pride after a progression through the roles of servant, footman, under-butler. In this quotation he says that he is proud above his station, implying that his self-respect extends above the status of a butler and that he believes he might reasonably occupy an even higher station were he to have opportunity.
We find similar positional prepositional usage in idioms such as "living beyond our means" or having "ideas above our station".
The term is still in contemporary use with the same meaning. For example:
"If Prince Charles is implying that we are all born to a particular station in life then his comment seems to reveal a profound ignorance of English social history."
"People should get above their stations. I absolutely welcome as much social mobility and aspiration as possible. We have to create more room for people to express their genuine talents. The world is not just a plaything for a few people."
Correct answer by Anton on April 5, 2021
Given that it's a butler who says this, then the meaning is obvious: after all, one would expect a butler not to have much to be proud about. However, he is saying that he is proud "above his station in life", because he is prouder than many people would expect him to be, given his station (that is status) in life. It all seems perfectly obvious and not at all "confusing".
Answered by Mozibur Ullah on April 5, 2021
“I've always been proud above my station in life, and disgrace would kill me.” The word “above” does not have a special meaning when used with “proud”, so “above my station in life” should be interpreted as an adjunct providing additional clarifying information to the basic statement “I've always been proud”. It means something like “I've always been proud to a greater extent than is warranted by my station in life.”
Answered by herisson on April 5, 2021
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