to gaze oneself into something

[constantinusphilo]

The following is a quote from John Fowles' The Magus:

... she was trying to gaze herself into another world.

What does this phrase exactly mean?

 

[Rover_KE]

Please quote the complete sentence.

 

[constantinusphilo]

Her face staring, staring into the darkness, as if she was gazing herself into another world.

 

[GoesStation]

Fowles evidently wasn't a fan of the subjunctive. (I'd say "as if she were".)

The phrase means as though she could move to another world by looking fixedly into the distance.

 

[teechar]

The verb "gaze" is intransitive, so ordinarily that part should be " ... as if she was trying to gaze into another world".
Here, the author is merging two ideas "gaze" and "transport herself". In other words, her staring was so intense/focused/determined that it appeared as if she was trying to transport herself (by that staring/gaze) into another world.
[cross-posted]

 

[constantinusphilo]

Please, can you provide another example of your own analogous to 'staring herself into'? For instance, can we say (or write) 'she was arguing herself into a hissing viper', or something like that?

 

[GoesStation]

Please, can you provide another example of your own analogous to 'staring herself into'? For instance, can we say (or write) 'she was arguing herself into a hissing viper', or something like that?

That's a different pattern and doesn't work. But "she was arguing herself into a blind alley" would be possible.

 

[emsr2d2]

... she was trying to gaze herself into another world.

Her face staring, staring into the darkness, as if she was gazing herself into another world.

Your quotes don't match. You must quote other people's words exactly. Which of the two actually appears in the original?