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.
- None of the others sit down, though the chest is large enough for many seats.
— from American Notes by Charles Dickens - 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 - 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 - ‘He says it was as if he had received a blow on the chest.
— from Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad - The doctor sounded Fantine’s chest and shook his head.
— from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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