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Reef

sourena

Senior Member
Farsi
Hello,
I was reading a book from Sartre and in this book I stumbled upon this phrase:”poor anne-marie; passive, she would have been accused of being a burden; active, she was suspected of wanting to boss the household. To avoid the first reef took all her courage; to avoid the second…”
As “reef” means “https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/reef?q=Reef”
What does it figuratively refer?
Thank you so much
Last edited:
In order for us to tell you what "reef" refers to in the context, we need the context.
In order for us to tell you what "reef" refers to in the context, we need the context.
Are 2 last statements enough?
The "reefs" appear to be other peoples negative thoughts about the person, things that the person could figuratively founder upon: being a burden and being suspected of wanting to boss the household. The metaphor is of a ship navigating a waterway, and is being used to represent a person's course through life. This sort of metaphor is common, although "reef" is probably not used much in a figurative sense these days, people generally being less familiar with reefs and shipwrecks than they used to be.
The "reefs" appear to be other peoples negative thoughts about the person, things that the person could figuratively founder upon: being a burden and being suspected of wanting to boss the household. The metaphor is of a ship navigating a waterway, and is being used to represent a person's course through life. This sort of metaphor is common, although "reef" is probably not used much in a figurative sense these days, people generally being less familiar with reefs and shipwrecks than they used to be.
Thank you ever so much for your explanatory explanation, but why he used 2 reefs? As reef is a wide ground, what is the reflection of second reef?
Here is the definition from your link above:
a line of rocks or sand just above or just below the surface of the sea, often dangerous to ships:
Lines are narrow. Reefs are dangerous to ships that need to get past them. There are two dangerous things that this person needs to get past.
Here is the definition from your link above:

Lines are narrow. Reefs are dangerous to ships that need to get past them. There are two dangerous things that this person needs to get past.
Thank you so much🙏🏽
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