Probably he really became rather useful, though no one ever told him so. But that, of course, cannot have been the reason why they kept the poor little man so long. They may have been waiting for him to get better, and judging 'better' by some odd medical standard of their own.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The passage suggests someone was kept around for potential utility or medical hope, though no one acknowledged their usefulness.
- In plain terms
- He was useful but never told, kept likely due to hope of recovery rather than gratitude.
- What can you take from it?
- People may be kept for reasons others do not openly acknowledge.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why are people sometimes kept when their value is unseen?
- How do medical standards affect decisions about care?
Another view
The motives described are speculative within the text.
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