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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.
  1. 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
  2. Besides that, his whole body began to feel colder and colder.
    — from Master and Man by graf Leo Tolstoy
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. Now this resurrection regards not the body, but the soul.
    — from The City of God, Volume II by Bishop of Hippo Saint Augustine
  7. The Polytechnic School voted "No" in a body.
    — from The History of a Crime by Victor Hugo
  8. 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

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