What is “the fabled obelisk” alluding to in The Boy at Mugby?











up vote
3
down vote

favorite












In this fragment from The Boy at Mugby within paragraph 60:




The swelling tumult was arrested in its rise. Sniff, bore away by his servile disposition, had drored up his leg with a higher and a higher relish, and was now discovered to be waving his corkscrew over his head. It was at this moment that Mrs. Sniff, who had kep’ her eye upon him like the fabled obelisk, descended on her victim.




What is "the fabled obelisk" alluding to?










share|improve this question


























    up vote
    3
    down vote

    favorite












    In this fragment from The Boy at Mugby within paragraph 60:




    The swelling tumult was arrested in its rise. Sniff, bore away by his servile disposition, had drored up his leg with a higher and a higher relish, and was now discovered to be waving his corkscrew over his head. It was at this moment that Mrs. Sniff, who had kep’ her eye upon him like the fabled obelisk, descended on her victim.




    What is "the fabled obelisk" alluding to?










    share|improve this question
























      up vote
      3
      down vote

      favorite









      up vote
      3
      down vote

      favorite











      In this fragment from The Boy at Mugby within paragraph 60:




      The swelling tumult was arrested in its rise. Sniff, bore away by his servile disposition, had drored up his leg with a higher and a higher relish, and was now discovered to be waving his corkscrew over his head. It was at this moment that Mrs. Sniff, who had kep’ her eye upon him like the fabled obelisk, descended on her victim.




      What is "the fabled obelisk" alluding to?










      share|improve this question













      In this fragment from The Boy at Mugby within paragraph 60:




      The swelling tumult was arrested in its rise. Sniff, bore away by his servile disposition, had drored up his leg with a higher and a higher relish, and was now discovered to be waving his corkscrew over his head. It was at this moment that Mrs. Sniff, who had kep’ her eye upon him like the fabled obelisk, descended on her victim.




      What is "the fabled obelisk" alluding to?







      meaning short-stories charles-dickens






      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question











      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question










      asked Nov 16 at 8:23









      Alberto

      1505




      1505






















          1 Answer
          1






          active

          oldest

          votes

















          up vote
          3
          down vote



          accepted










          The use of the work "obelisk" is most likely a malapropism here. The narrator is confusing the less familiar word basilisk with the more familiar word obelisk.



          An obelisk is a type of monument and won't cast any glances at anyone. The basilisk, by contrast,




          is a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king who can cause death with a single glance.




          It only exists in myths and fables, hence the phrase "fabled basilisk". In English literature, the basilisk somehow got confused with the cockatrice. You can find several instances of "cockatrice" in Shakespeare's works, where it is typically associated with a deadly glance.






          share|improve this answer





















            Your Answer








            StackExchange.ready(function() {
            var channelOptions = {
            tags: "".split(" "),
            id: "668"
            };
            initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

            StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
            // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
            if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
            StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
            createEditor();
            });
            }
            else {
            createEditor();
            }
            });

            function createEditor() {
            StackExchange.prepareEditor({
            heartbeatType: 'answer',
            convertImagesToLinks: false,
            noModals: true,
            showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
            reputationToPostImages: null,
            bindNavPrevention: true,
            postfix: "",
            imageUploader: {
            brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
            contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
            allowUrls: true
            },
            noCode: true, onDemand: true,
            discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
            ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
            });


            }
            });














             

            draft saved


            draft discarded


















            StackExchange.ready(
            function () {
            StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fliterature.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f8794%2fwhat-is-the-fabled-obelisk-alluding-to-in-the-boy-at-mugby%23new-answer', 'question_page');
            }
            );

            Post as a guest















            Required, but never shown

























            1 Answer
            1






            active

            oldest

            votes








            1 Answer
            1






            active

            oldest

            votes









            active

            oldest

            votes






            active

            oldest

            votes








            up vote
            3
            down vote



            accepted










            The use of the work "obelisk" is most likely a malapropism here. The narrator is confusing the less familiar word basilisk with the more familiar word obelisk.



            An obelisk is a type of monument and won't cast any glances at anyone. The basilisk, by contrast,




            is a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king who can cause death with a single glance.




            It only exists in myths and fables, hence the phrase "fabled basilisk". In English literature, the basilisk somehow got confused with the cockatrice. You can find several instances of "cockatrice" in Shakespeare's works, where it is typically associated with a deadly glance.






            share|improve this answer

























              up vote
              3
              down vote



              accepted










              The use of the work "obelisk" is most likely a malapropism here. The narrator is confusing the less familiar word basilisk with the more familiar word obelisk.



              An obelisk is a type of monument and won't cast any glances at anyone. The basilisk, by contrast,




              is a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king who can cause death with a single glance.




              It only exists in myths and fables, hence the phrase "fabled basilisk". In English literature, the basilisk somehow got confused with the cockatrice. You can find several instances of "cockatrice" in Shakespeare's works, where it is typically associated with a deadly glance.






              share|improve this answer























                up vote
                3
                down vote



                accepted







                up vote
                3
                down vote



                accepted






                The use of the work "obelisk" is most likely a malapropism here. The narrator is confusing the less familiar word basilisk with the more familiar word obelisk.



                An obelisk is a type of monument and won't cast any glances at anyone. The basilisk, by contrast,




                is a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king who can cause death with a single glance.




                It only exists in myths and fables, hence the phrase "fabled basilisk". In English literature, the basilisk somehow got confused with the cockatrice. You can find several instances of "cockatrice" in Shakespeare's works, where it is typically associated with a deadly glance.






                share|improve this answer












                The use of the work "obelisk" is most likely a malapropism here. The narrator is confusing the less familiar word basilisk with the more familiar word obelisk.



                An obelisk is a type of monument and won't cast any glances at anyone. The basilisk, by contrast,




                is a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king who can cause death with a single glance.




                It only exists in myths and fables, hence the phrase "fabled basilisk". In English literature, the basilisk somehow got confused with the cockatrice. You can find several instances of "cockatrice" in Shakespeare's works, where it is typically associated with a deadly glance.







                share|improve this answer












                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer










                answered Nov 16 at 9:52









                Christophe Strobbe

                6,36321347




                6,36321347






























                     

                    draft saved


                    draft discarded



















































                     


                    draft saved


                    draft discarded














                    StackExchange.ready(
                    function () {
                    StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fliterature.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f8794%2fwhat-is-the-fabled-obelisk-alluding-to-in-the-boy-at-mugby%23new-answer', 'question_page');
                    }
                    );

                    Post as a guest















                    Required, but never shown





















































                    Required, but never shown














                    Required, but never shown












                    Required, but never shown







                    Required, but never shown

































                    Required, but never shown














                    Required, but never shown












                    Required, but never shown







                    Required, but never shown







                    Popular posts from this blog

                    Ellipse (mathématiques)

                    Quarter-circle Tiles

                    Mont Emei