Literary notes about Assailant (AI summary)
The term "assailant" in literature is often used to evoke an image of an active, sometimes aggressive force challenging the protagonist, whether in physical combat or in more abstract ideological or emotional confrontations. Its use can be quite literal—depicting a character engaged in a brutal fight or an unexpected ambush [1, 2, 3]—or metaphorical, where it symbolizes conflicting ideas or internal strife, as seen when optimism itself wears the guise of an assailant [4] or when a writer critiques another’s style by positioning themselves against an adversary [5]. This versatility allows authors to layer their narratives with tension and complexity, highlighting both overt struggles and subtle power dynamics.
- The pale creature, having reached a rock to which he could anchor himself with a couple of his feelers, had turned savagely upon his rash assailant.
— from Children of the Wild by Roberts, Charles G. D., Sir - He hesitated one second, as if meaning to run; and in the next his assailant was upon him.
— from The Jungle by Upton Sinclair - A quick movement on his part, and his assailant fell with a crash.
— from The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie - A modern assailant of optimism would arm himself with social pity.
— from Candide by Voltaire - He extols Lysias as a far greater writer than Plato ( ib. viii.), and is a bitter assailant of Plato’s style ( ib. )
— from On the Sublime by active 1st century Longinus
