what does "could not unseen"here mean?
As he looked about him Nat thought it seemed more like a great family than a school, for the lads were sitting in a wide half-circle round the fire, some on chairs, some on the rug, Daisy and Demi on the knees of Uncle Fritz, and Rob snugly stowed away in the back of his mother's easy-chair, where he could nod unseen if the talk got beyond his depth.Every one looked quite comfortable, and listened attentively, for the long walk made rest agreeable, and as every boy there knew that he would be called upon for his views, he kept his wits awake to be ready with an answer.does it mean "he won't be seen even if he didn't understand other people's talk?" he will be ashamed if he didn't understand? so it is good he could hide behind his mother's easy chair?

Question

what does "could not unseen"here mean?
As he looked about him Nat thought it seemed more like a great family than a school, for the lads were sitting in a wide half-circle round the fire, some on chairs, some on the rug, Daisy and Demi on the knees of Uncle Fritz, and Rob snugly stowed away in the back of his mother's easy-chair, where he could nod unseen if the talk got beyond his depth.Every one looked quite comfortable, and listened attentively, for the long walk made rest agreeable, and as every boy there knew that he would be called upon for his views, he kept his wits awake to be ready with an answer.does it mean "he won't be seen even if he didn't understand other people's talk?" he will be ashamed if he didn't understand? so it is good he could hide behind his mother's easy chair?

Answer

In this, he is sitting all the way back in the easy chair (not behind it). He is behind the other people and if he can't keep up with the conversation, or if he doesn't really understand it, he could just nod his head and pretend. (It is common advice to just "nod and smile" if you don't understand a conversation because it might make it seem like you understand).

Because he is off to the side, or in the back, he probably won't be noticed. Which is good, because as the rest of the paragraph says, if he looked like he wasn't listening or understanding, he may be called on to speak and contribute to the conversation.

What story is this? Hope this helps!

Edit: on second reading, it could also mean that Rob could "nod off" (fall asleep) while sitting in the easy chair if he could not keep up with the conversation. I think the context of the characters would help figure out which understanding is correct.

Answers · 2

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