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Consider the abstract,

As the works of dozens of women writers have been rescued from what E. P. Thompson calls “the enormous condescension of posterity,” and considered in relation to each other, the lost continent of the female tradition has risen like Atlantis from the sea of English literature.

Taken from -

Green,Sharon Weiner,M.A.; Wolf,Ira K.,Ph.D. (2015-02-01). GRE, 21st edition (Barron's Gre) (Kindle Locations 16724-16728). Barron's Educational Series. Kindle Edition.

I am unable to infer the meaning of what the author is trying to suggest with this line,

the enormous condescension of posterity

Words with their meaning-

condescension - an attitude of patronizing superiority; disdain.

posterity - all future generations of people.

Kindly elaborate. I know that the author uses a metaphor(comparision) -

the lost continent of the female tradition has risen like Atlantis

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  • The work of women writers of the past were considered with comptent or even unfairly ignored (the lost continent metaphor). They have been rehabilitated by E.P. Thomson (esteem has been restablished).
    – Graffito
    Commented Oct 22, 2015 at 21:02

1 Answer 1

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As the passing decades bring new and self-proclaimed "enlightenment", often the new generation will look back on prior peoples lives and behavior with contempt. "They didn't even have electricity - how barbaric!" or "They believed some stupid medical stuff!" It has been correctly noted that one must judge each persons behavior by the era they lived in. We may have some great advances in medicine and science, but 100 years ago, they had to make do with a lot less. Only a wanker would mock them for that.

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  • -1 for not addressing the question directly.
    – ArchContrarian
    Commented Oct 24, 2017 at 10:50

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