Today we’ll talk about a word that, on the one hand, is quite ordinary, and on the other, very mysterious. In the area of our attention, “shadow” is a multifaceted concept that we have to uncover.
Value
When it comes to a word with rich content, you can not do without an explanatory dictionary. We will turn to him to establish the truth. Here is the list of values of the object of study:
- A place protected from direct sunlight. For example: " In hot countries, even in the shade of +40."
- Dark reflection on something from an object lit from the opposite side. For example: “ Look, what a funny shadow I have on the pavement!” .
- Unclear outline, silhouette. For example: " A shadow flickered in the alley ."
- Shadows are cosmetic paints for face and eyelids.
- Darkened, shaded place in the picture. An example can be seen in the photo above.
- Reflection of the internal state in the movement of the face. For example: "A shadow of disgust flashed across his face when he again saw this wife’s girlfriend at their place."
- Ghost, reproduction of something. For example: "The shadows of the past reappeared before his eyes."
- The slightest sign, a share of something. For example: “You are mistaken, I have already made a decision, do you even hear a shadow of doubt in my voice?”
- Suspicion of something obscene or defaming honor. For example: “If he is really involved in such financial frauds, then this will not only cast a shadow on his reputation, but can also be very dangerous for his future career, and possibly life.”
No one could have imagined that the question of the meaning of the word “shadow” could have so many answers. But, of course, native speakers are well aware of the diverse meanings of the definition in question. And yet, when the word reveals to the reader the whole depth of its content like this in a list, it is impressive. By the way, the list is made so that first come the direct meaning of the word (up to 5 points inclusive), and then - figurative (from 6 to the end).
Synonyms
Of course, given the number of meanings, we can assume that there will be a lot of replacement words, but we would not count on it. Firstly, because the torture of the reader is not part of our plans, and secondly, I don’t want to stretch the list of synonyms without the need. So here it is:
- cosmetics;
- reflection;
- shape;
- suspicion;
- ghost;
- ghost;
- silhouette;
- phantom;
- chimera.
All of the above definitions are shadows under other names. Of course, all the values of the object of study are mixed here, but this does not matter for those who need to quickly answer the question about the synonyms of the word.
Phraseologism "cast a shadow on the wattle fence"
Of course, one could talk about the figurative and moral meaning of the word, especially since this topic was partially touched upon in the meanings. But we decided that at first the obligatory program, which today includes the stable phrase “put a shadow on the wattle fence,” and then everything else. Rumor has it that somewhere designated speech circulation exists with another verb, namely: "Cast a shadow on the wattle fence." His meaning is probably the same.
First you need to understand what wattle is, right? Wattle fence is a fence made of branches and twigs. True, when young children hear this phraseologism for the first time, for some reason they seem to have a wicker chair. However, when they become adults, they will understand that this is not a chair at all, but a peculiar, very beautiful fence.
Putting a shadow on the wattle fence means confusing, obscuring the essence of the matter, casting a twilight at it. Although what does the wattle fence have to do with it, it is not entirely clear, but this is a mystery not only for us, but also for scientists.
An example of the use of phraseology: "You don’t speak to me, don’t put a shadow on the wattle fence, speak plainly as you wrote the control in mathematics."
“The Strange Story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (1886)
Shadow can also mean some qualities of a person that are personally unacceptable to him, that is, the negative aspects of the person that he consciously or unconsciously hides (the second, of course, more likely).
The most striking literary example of a shadow is a Robert Lewis Stevenson novel. There are two main characters in it - Dr. Jekyll (good) and Mr. Hyde (bad). But the thing is that it is one and the same person. Mr. Hyde is a concentrate of the evil principle that Dr. Jekyll squeezed out of himself from the sphere of consciousness. We hope that we did not spoil the fun for anyone, and everyone who reads knows the plot of the story. But in any case, the content itself in Stevenson’s work is not the main thing, the main thing is to join the cultural tradition, that is, finally read this famous and masterpiece text, make it part of your experience.
Shadow in Jung's concept
Probably, somehow (perhaps the most direct), the work of the British classic influenced the founder of analytical psychology, Carl Gustav Jung.
An associate, then an adversary of Freud, postulated that the battle between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde takes place inside each person, in other words, everyone has a shadow. Man is a combination of light and darkness, an angel and a demon. The latter manifests itself only when consciousness loosens its grip. The child grows, learns what is good and what is evil. In addition, he is influenced by parents who approve of some aspects of the personality, while others suppress. The former become the public face of a person, his person, and others become a shadow. But the shadow does not die and does not go away. It manifests itself in objects of human hatred, random typos, reservations, possibly in a hobby. Society is almost omnipotent, but still sometimes his hands are short to get to the secluded places of human life, therefore, perhaps, this is where the shadow lives.
Of course, this is only a sketch to the inexhaustible topic of shadow, but our task is only to interest the reader. I wish he himself picked up the wonderful works of a Swiss psychologist and read about all archetypes. Moreover, psychoanalysis is still a very fashionable direction in psychology.