Question

Looking back at objects and habits of a bygone era can give one a feeling of phantom-like unreality. What examples does the author give to bring out this idea?

Answer 1

The author takes Shakespeare, the most famous Elizabethan playwright, as an example to describe the objects and habits of the past era, which brings only a ghostly unreality to the author. The renowned writer, Shakespeare, sat in an armchair by the fireplace, clutching his forehead and the sky above his head, full of incredible and suspicious ideas and inspirations. She believes that a person will naturally be inspired by the environment or experience rather than some inspiring phenomenon. The author collected some examples from 'Whitaker's Table of Precedency' to describe this untrue spirit. Traditional concepts such as good and evil, heaven and hell, God and the devil are invalid and seem to be describing untrue.