In Tennessee William's play, "The Glass Managerie", Amanda says:
It wasn't enough for a girl to be possessed of a pretty face and a graceful figure although I wasn't slighted in either respect."
What is the meaning of "slighted" in this sentence?
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Sign up to join this communityIn Tennessee William's play, "The Glass Managerie", Amanda says:
It wasn't enough for a girl to be possessed of a pretty face and a graceful figure although I wasn't slighted in either respect."
What is the meaning of "slighted" in this sentence?
I would say the meaning comes from the root of alight: light, i.e., she wasn't illuminated, lit up in either respect. But I would rather paraphrase it as:
(...) I didn't shine in either respect.
Slighted in this sense means to be denied of something.(source) It is often used to refer to something you deserved or were promised. In this context the character is saying she has both a pretty face a graceful figure, or is not lacking those features. However, I don't believe it's common to use slighted in that context, I would use lacking instead.
I'm not totally sure of the context this quote is coming from - after a little research the following two definitions make the most sense to me (source)
- To treat (someone) with discourteous reserve or inattention
- To treat as of small importance; make light of
"Insulted" is a good synonym in this case.
It sounds like this person was told that being pretty wasn't enough - but that she was indeed pretty, so that she was not "slighted" (or insulted).
It means she wasn't ignored in either aspect. So she was both yet it wasn't enough.