befuddled in its characterizations as it begins to seem as long as the two year affair which is its subject 
(ROOT (S (VP (VBN befuddled) (PP (IN in) (NP (PRP$ its) (NNS characterizations)))) (SBAR (IN as) (S (NP (PRP it)) (VP (VBZ begins) (S (VP (TO to) (VP (VB seem) (S (ADJP (ADJP (RB as) (RB long)) (PP (IN as) (NP (NP (DT the) (NML (CD two) (NN year)) (NN affair)) (SBAR (WHNP (WDT which)) (S (VP (VBZ is) (NP (PRP$ its) (NN subject)))))))))))))))))
(ROOT (S (VP (VBN ) (PP (IN ) (NP (PRP$ ) (NNS )))) (SBAR (IN ) (S (NP (PRP )) (VP (VBZ ) (S (VP (TO ) (VP (VB ) (S (ADJP (ADJP (RB ) (RB )) (PP (IN ) (NP (NP (DT ) (NML (CD ) (NN )) (NN )) (SBAR (WHNP (WDT )) (S (VP (VBZ ) (NP (PRP$ ) (NN )))))))))))))))))