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Literary notes about Cheerful (AI summary)

In literature, "cheerful" serves as a versatile descriptor that not only illustrates a sunny, positive disposition in characters but also imbues scenes with a vibrant, uplifting atmosphere. Authors use it to highlight a character's inner resolve and buoyant nature—even in the face of adversity, as when a figure exhibits "cheerful stoicism" [1] or when a character's demeanor is noted as "cheerful and serene" despite trying circumstances [2]. The adjective also colors the environment, such as in the depiction of "the first cheerful rays" of the morning [3] or in creating a setting that feels light and invigorating [4]. Moreover, its use can be subtly ironic, lending a layer of complexity to a narrative when cheerful expressions stand in contrast to underlying tension or irony [5]. Overall, "cheerful" is a tool for both illuminating character traits and setting an optimistic tone within a narrative.
  1. Kent in his devotion, his self-effacement, his cheerful stoicism, his desire to follow his dead lord, [310] has been well likened to Horatio.
    — from Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth by A. C. Bradley
  2. but when she went in to him she wiped her eyes and looked cheerful.
    — from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  3. On we go, all night, and by-and-by the day begins to break, and presently the first cheerful rays of the warm sun come slanting on us brightly.
    — from American Notes by Charles Dickens
  4. The birds sang in more cheerful notes, and the leaves began to bud forth on the trees.
    — from Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
  5. How does that little old song go, which, under pretence of being cheerful, is by far the most lugubrious I ever heard in my life?
    — from Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens

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