All 4 Uses of
direct
in
The Things They Carried
- In many ways he was like America itself, big and strong, full of good intentions, a roll of fat jiggling at his belly, slow of foot but always plodding along, always there when you needed him, a believer in the virtues of simplicity and directness and hard labor.
Chpt 10 (definition 1) *directness = the quality of being straightforward or clear
- The emotional core came directly from Bowker's letter: the simple need to talk.
Chpt 16 (definition 2)directly = straight (without anything in between)
- Beyond that, though, something about the story had frightened me-I was afraid to speak directly, afraid to remember-and in the end the piece had been ruined by a failure to tell the full and exact truth about our night in the shit field.
Chpt 16 (definition 1)directly = in a straightforward manner (without hiding anything)
- I was directly behind him.
Chpt 20 (definition 2) *directly = close (without anything in between)
Definitions:
-
(1) (direct as in: was direct in my instructions) straightforward (uncomplicated or simple -- perhaps also indicating openness and honesty, or little concern for others' feelings)
-
(2) (direct as in: directly above; or buy direct from) straight (exactly where stated); or without involvement of anything in betweenThe exact meaning of this sense of direct is subject to its context. For example:
- "The road runs directly to Las Vegas." -- straight (without varying from a straight line)
- "It was a direct hit." -- exact
- "The plant is in direct sunlight." -- unobstructed (without anything in between)
- "She wants a direct meeting with him." -- personal (without other people in between)
- "She paid direct attention to what he was reading." -- close
- "a direct gaze" -- straight, steady, or focused--not a brief glance taken while generally looking at other things; not a sideways look