Literary notes about Body (AI summary)
The word “body” in literature spans a spectrum from the literal, physical form to a symbol of collective identity or spiritual essence. In some works, it vividly captures human corporeality and its vulnerabilities, as when physical decay or exhaustion is portrayed through the struggles of a weakened form [1, 2, 3]. At the same time, “body” frequently appears in discussions that contrast the fleeting nature of physical existence with enduring, immaterial qualities like the soul or mind [4, 5, 6]. Beyond the individual, the term is also used to evoke a sense of unity or a collective whole, as in the reference to group decisions or a body politic, emphasizing shared purpose and responsibility [7, 8]. This multifaceted usage allows writers to explore a wide range of themes—from the tangible realities of physical life to the more abstract inquiries into human nature—making “body” a powerful and adaptable literary device.
- The mother was kneeling by the bed with her arms on his body and her head hidden in the bedclothes.
— from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov - Besides that, his whole body began to feel colder and colder.
— from Master and Man by graf Leo Tolstoy - His face and body were scored by the teeth of many dogs, and he fought as fiercely as ever and more shrewdly.
— from The call of the wild by Jack London - He added in a preacher’s tone: —For this, O dearly beloved, is the genuine Christine: body and soul and blood and ouns.
— from Ulysses by James Joyce - So, also, a thought is limited by another thought, but a body is not limited by thought, nor a thought by body.
— from Ethics by Benedictus de Spinoza - Now this resurrection regards not the body, but the soul.
— from The City of God, Volume II by Bishop of Hippo Saint Augustine - The Polytechnic School voted "No" in a body.
— from The History of a Crime by Victor Hugo - South Africa, stripped of its black serfs and their lands, must admit the resident natives and colored folk to its body politic as equals.
— from Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil by W. E. B. Du Bois