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Literary notes about Cautious (AI summary)

The term "cautious" in literature is often used to highlight a character’s careful deliberation and strategic restraint, whether in the midst of adventure or in matters of personal conduct. In one narrative, workers set off at moonrise with a sense of guarded purpose [1]; elsewhere, characters exhibit a deliberate, sometimes even paradoxical blend of boldness and circumspection [2] in the face of uncertainty. Actions described as cautious—such as measured steps, gentle knocks, or restrained speech [3, 4, 5]—serve to heighten tension or underscore a character’s internal conflict. It also frequently characterizes social and political behavior, suggesting prudence in opinion or governance [6, 7]. Through such varied applications, "cautious" becomes a versatile descriptor that enriches narratives by imbuing situations with an air of skepticism, responsibility, and sometimes even vulnerability, ultimately adding layers to both plot and character development [8, 9].
  1. At moonrise the cautious coolies got under way.
    — from Kim by Rudyard Kipling
  2. Among the maxims of the elder Rothschild was one, all apparent paradox: "Be cautious and bold."
    — from The art of money getting : by P. T. Barnum
  3. It was a soft cautious tapping on the door of his tree.
    — from Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
  4. Ognev remembers his cautious steps, the dark windows, the heavy scent of heliotrope and mignonette.
    — from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
  5. With a steady movement—cautious, sidelong, shrinking, and slow—I slid from the embrace of the bandage and beyond the reach of the scimitar.
    — from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 2 by Edgar Allan Poe
  6. The cautious captain’s better than the bold.
    — from The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Complete by Suetonius
  7. “He is cautious; but depend upon it, he will stand or fall by the land.”
    — from Sybil, Or, The Two Nations by Earl of Beaconsfield Benjamin Disraeli
  8. No, Kitty, I have at last learnt to be cautious, and you will feel the effects of it.
    — from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  9. “Cautious, very cautious,” thought Emma; “he advances inch by inch, and will hazard nothing till he believes himself secure.”
    — from Emma by Jane Austen

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