Literary notes about BERTH (AI summary)
The word “berth” takes on versatile meanings in literary texts, serving both as a literal and figurative term. In adventure and sea narratives, it often refers to a space allocated on a ship—a place to sleep or stay—illustrated by characters returning to their berth after long journeys or unexpected events ([1], [2], [3]). Meanwhile, it is also employed metaphorically to denote a safe distance or a secured position, as when individuals purposefully “give a wide berth” to dangers or unfavorable associations ([4], [5], [6]). Additionally, berth can represent an earned role or status that a character aspires to, such as a coveted position aboard a vessel or within a community ([7], [8]). This dual usage enriches the narrative by blending concrete imagery with abstract concepts of safety and avoidance.
- Now, just after sundown, when all my work was over and I was on my way to my berth, it occurred to me that I should like an apple.
— from Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson - All dressed and dusty as he is, Jonah throws himself into his berth, and finds the little state-room ceiling almost resting on his forehead.
— from Moby Dick; Or, The Whale by Herman Melville - From the time that he was "broken," he had had a dog's berth on board the vessel, and determined to run away at the first opportunity.
— from Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana - Naturally, we was both of us inclined to give such a subject a wide berth.
— from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens - Give a wide berth to those who can do damage at a distance.
— from Aesop's Fables; a new translation by Aesop - Nobody would live in it afterward, or go near it by night, and most people even gave it a wide berth in the daytime.
— from The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson by Mark Twain - You know the school of mines qualifies one as a mining foreman—a splendid berth.
— from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov - When we were ready to leave Bombay my daughter’s satchels were holding possession of her berth—a lower one.
— from Following the Equator: A Journey Around the World by Mark Twain
