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Literary notes about CHEST (AI summary)

The term “chest” carries a rich variety of meanings in literature, shifting seamlessly between concrete and metaphorical realms. In some works it denotes a physical container—a large wooden box holding treasured objects or tools, whether it be a seat-surpassing chest ([1]), an ancient repository that safeguards records ([2]), or even a tool chest emblematic of a craftsman’s pride ([3]). In other narratives, “chest” refers to a part of the human body, evoking physical sensations and emotional states: a blow on the chest may signal physical injury or shock ([4]), while descriptions of a heaving or aching chest convey moments of distress, passion, or vulnerability ([5], [6], [7]). Authors also employ the term in idiomatic expressions to illustrate the act of releasing burdens, thereby enriching a character’s inner life ([8], [9]). Through these diverse uses—from tangible objects and anatomical references to vivid metaphors—the word “chest” acts as a versatile symbol in the literary landscape.
  1. None of the others sit down, though the chest is large enough for many seats.
    — from American Notes by Charles Dickens
  2. The book is preserved in an ancient chest in the Public Record Office, where it was removed from the Chapter House at Westminster.
    — from English Villages by P. H. Ditchfield
  3. By 1900, the carpenter's tool chest, fully stocked and fit for the finest craftsman, contained 90 or more tools.
    — from Woodworking Tools 1600-1900 by Peter C. Welsh
  4. ‘He says it was as if he had received a blow on the chest.
    — from Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad
  5. The doctor sounded Fantine’s chest and shook his head.
    — from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
  6. I clung to it: then I felt that I was being drawn up, that I was brought to the surface of the water, that my chest collapsed—I fainted.
    — from Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea by Jules Verne
  7. He seemed suddenly to feel an acute pain in his chest, he turned pale and pressed his hands to his heart.
    — from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  8. Then he added: “But I do think Lucy might have got this off her chest in Italy.
    — from A Room with a View by E. M. Forster
  9. disburden &c. (free) 705; take a load off one's chest, get a load off one's chest, take off a load of care.
    — from Roget's Thesaurus by Peter Mark Roget

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