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We can now consider sentences which, as one might say, give an analysis
of the impression we get, say, from a face.
Take such a statement as, “The particular impression of
this face is due to its small eyes and low forehead.”
Here the words, “the particular impression”, may
stand for a certain specification, e.g.,
“the stupid expression.”
Or, on the other hand, they may mean, “what makes this
expression a striking one” (i.e. an
extraordinary one); or, “what strikes one about this
face” (i.e., “what draws
one's attention”).
Or again, our sentence may mean, “If you change
these features in the slightest the expression will change
entirely (whereas you might change other features without changing the
expression nearly so much)”.
The form of this statement, however, mustn't mislead us into
thinking that there is in every case a supplementing statement of the
form, “First the expression was this, after the
change it's that.”
We can, of course, say, “Smith frowned, and his
expression changed from this to that”, pointing, say, at two
drawings of his face. – – (Compare with this the two
statements: “He said these words”, and
“His words said something”). | | |