English quote i dont understand?

Question

The following statement in Steinbeck’s tale: “There is a seat of worth beyond the reach of envy whose occupant ceases to be a man and becomes the receptacle of the wishful longings of the world.” What modern-day figures, male or female, might you apply this statement to? why? What does this quote mean?

can u help me undestand this? thanks!!!!

Answer 1

Well, I have two degrees in English, and I love Steinbeck and I just cannot recall which novel or short story you are quoting from.  In most of his writings, there is a central character who is all wise an full of wisdom and love who the reader loves and wishes he could have this person as their next door neighbor to have coffee with every morning. It means a person who has an all good and all loving heart and a person that we all admire and emulate in some way. Or to expand on this idea, it could be an organization like The salvation Army or Goodwill that tries to help others. Or the priests and nuns who take vows of poverty and sacrifice their life to help others. It was a Catholic Monastery in France that first invented the Sign Language for the deaf. The Catholic Church has alays minisyered to the deaf and the deaf-blind.............

Answer 2

I'll take a stab at it.  I think Oprah would be an example, because she is in a position in life that ordinarily would be envied by many people, and yet you can't really hate her or be jealous of her for what she has, because she seems to be so genuinely good and caring and does so much good for other people.

Someone please let me know if I am on the right track here.