The phrase "beside himself" signifies an intense emotional state. The difference in its usage on page 17 and page 20 likely reflects different emotions or situations, indicating a character's emotional depth and the possible theme of self-reflection.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phrase "beside himself" is an expression used to describe a strong emotional state that renders a person figuratively outside of or apart from themself, often due to extreme emotion such as excitement, anger, or shock. In literature, when an author uses a phrase like this, it typically signifies an intense moment for a character. The context of these moments can differ even when the same phrase is used.
On page 17, the character may be "beside himself" due to a particular situation that elicits a strong emotional reaction such as surprise or elation. Contrarily, on page 20, the character might again be "beside himself," but here the circumstances or the nature of the emotion may be different—perhaps frustration or despair. Without specific excerpts from the text, we can deduce the difference in the use of the phrase by examining the scenarios surrounding each instance. It is likely that the author is showing the character's emotional versatility and depth by using the same expression to convey different emotions.
In relation to pronouns, it's worth mentioning that emotions can cause a person to be disassociated from themselves, similar to when pronouns are used to talk about oneself in the third person; this speaks to the theme of self-reflection introduced in Chapter 20.