0

I'm reading a novel and this line came up.

幸いにして今は虐められていないが､ それは､ クラスに私よりも虐められている子がいてくれるからというだけのこと｡

The context is that the narrator used to be bullied in class, but now that a new student has become the class's target of bullying.

What does というだけのこと mean in the above sentence?

Could the だけのこと be a shortened version of だけのことはある that is talked about in this answer? If that is correct , would the addition of というだけのこと be adding a nuance of "at least I can say this new student being bullied had the benefit of me no longer being bullied"?

hulapoll1
  • 111
  • 5

1 Answers1

1

No, だけのこと is not a contraction of だけのことはある. If anything, it is a contraction of だけのことだ.

As explained on this site, it basically means just. In particular, the usage in the sentence is emphasis: It is just because there is another who's bullied more than I.

Note:

  • The benefit implication comes from (いて)くれる. In this case it implies that the existence of 'the more bullied' benefits the speaker.
  • The linked site has a separate entry for だけのことはある.
sundowner
  • 36,445
  • 2
  • 19
  • 57