Connotative language is the emotion or feeling that come from a word, and Denotative language is the dictionary definition.
The dictionary gives the literal or denotative meaning of a word. However, many words (especially nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs) also have an emotional meaning.
Depending on how a word is used it may have a positive, negative or neutral connotation.
In this story, a young woman who is “daughter and wife of a forester” is home alone with her mother. The daughter’s wife is serving in the French army; the father is in town drilling with the local militia. This young woman is strong and unafraid. When half a dozen Germans show up demanding to be fed dinner, she tricks them into her cellar – once, apparently, an underground prison cell – until the local militia can come to take them into custody. The young woman is represented as a fine example of patriotism, courage, and quick wits; the French should be proud of her (and her father certainly is, although it is implied that the leader of the militia is happy to take credit for the capture). The militiamen, however, don’t get an uncritical treatment. I will leave this part spoiler-free, but an unfortunate and avoidable incident highlights that they are less competent than our daughter-and-wife.
pourrais-je avoir le plus intelligent que je suis presque à mon prochain rang?
I’d go with “Lonely and homesick for his village and friends in Mexico”
Prejudice learn to not judge a book by its cover
