Literary notes about Deliberately (AI summary)
The term "deliberately" is frequently employed to underscore an intentional and measured action or decision in literature. It serves to highlight characters’ calculated behaviors—whether in moments of violence, as when a character intentionally inflicts harm with precision ([1]), or in instances of moral restraint, where a deed is consciously undertaken, despite its severity ([2]). At times, it speaks to the precision of thought or speech, as a character’s carefully chosen words reveal their inner resolve ([3], [4]), while on other occasions it accentuates methodical and pre-planned physical acts—from arranging a setting with purpose ([5]) to making strategic life choices ([6]). This nuanced use of "deliberately" enriches narrative tone, marking a clear boundary between impulse and premeditation.
- I took from my waistcoat-pocket a pen-knife, opened it, grasped the poor beast by the throat, and deliberately cut one of its eyes from the socket!
— from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition by Edgar Allan Poe - “Impossible!” cried Madame Danglars: “a man may murder another out of revenge, but he would not deliberately drown a child.”
— from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - “If so, I beg your pardon.” “No, you were not mistaken,” she said deliberately, looking desperately into his cold face.
— from Anna Karenina by graf Leo Tolstoy - He has grown so cunning and careful, and weighs his words so deliberately; he spoke to me about that Kapiton fellow with an object, you know!
— from The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - Mr. Weston must be quiet, and every thing deliberately arranged.
— from Emma by Jane Austen - If I had calmly and deliberately decided to whip him because I thought it a just punishment for him I would not feel over it as I do.
— from Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery
