“I think it must happen to men as well as to women, to know that strangers have made a false evaluation of what they may achieve, and to watch a change of tone, a change of language, a pervasive change of respect after their work has been judged to be worthwhile.” A.S. Byatt, Possession A Romance  p 350.

The text continues : “But how much more for women, who are, as Christabel says, largely thought to be unable to write well, unlikely to try, and something like changelings or monsters when indeed they do succeed, and achieve something.”

Yes, of course. Recognition – whether admitted or not, everyone longs for it or we’d all shut up and quietly grow our string beans or race our jalopies over sand dunes and turtle eggs.

That said, it’s a riddle. And the nagging question at the moment isn’t about going recognized or un-. The nagging question: who lived in the house before the school teacher did? Why did he live alone? What did he do with himself between school and home?