Literary notes about Calamity (AI summary)
In literature, calamity is often employed to underscore moments of disaster and profound change, whether on a personal level, as with the tragic fate of a character [1], or on a wider societal scale, such as the downfall of great empires [2]. Its usage bridges the gap between literal disaster and metaphorical misfortune, serving as both a turning point and a moral lesson, as a character might remark on unavoidable lessons learned in the aftermath of dire events [3]. Some authors invoke calamity to heighten dramatic tension and critique prevailing social conditions, suggesting that catastrophic events—be they natural or man-made—reveal deeper truths about the human condition [4]. Whether spoken in earnest or with subtle irony, the term encapsulates an essential narrative device that transforms overwhelming adversity into a catalyst for reflection and change [5].
- This lovely Alice had met with some great and mysterious calamity, and had grown thin and white, and gradually faded out of the world.
— from The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne - The time of the siege was indeed fulfilled in forty days, but they were forty days of calamity and anguish.
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - “Every trail has its end, and every calamity brings its lesson!” returned the scout.
— from The Last of the Mohicans; A narrative of 1757 by James Fenimore Cooper - If Drona, or Karna, or even Bhishma advance against him in battle, a great calamity is likely to befall the earth.
— from The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1 - O king, O hero, do thou relent towards her that weepeth ceaselessly for that calamity and do thou give her an answer.
— from The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1
