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Literary notes about Difference (AI summary)

In literature, the word “difference” is a remarkably versatile term, employed to capture contrasts and distinctions ranging from the quantitative to the qualitative. In historical and analytical texts, authors use it to denote variances in context or data—for example, Gibbon’s reference to distinctions in time and character [1] and Adam Smith’s economic disparities [2] illustrate how measured differences can have significant implications. Meanwhile, in novels and essays, “difference” often highlights subtle shifts in perception, character, or social dynamics, as seen when Mark Twain calls for clarity in disparity [3] or when Thomas Hardy and D. H. Lawrence explore nuanced portrayals of human condition [4, 5]. Philosophers and psychologists, such as William James and Immanuel Kant, use the term to dissect the essence of perception and judgement [6, 7], suggesting that understanding these differences is key to grasping broader truths. This multifaceted use of “difference” adds layers of meaning to texts, enabling authors to bridge the gap between abstract theory and lived experience.
  1. The difference of times and persons, of actions and characters, was totally disregarded.
    — from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon
  2. The difference between the wages of skilled labour and those of common labour, is founded upon this principle.
    — from An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
  3. Y.M. Make the difference clear, please. O.M.
    — from What Is Man? and Other Essays by Mark Twain
  4. The contrast well marked the difference between being fetched by a thriving farmer and conveying oneself whither no hirer waited one's coming.
    — from Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman by Thomas Hardy
  5. Why, what difference was there, as far as he felt matured or completed, between him now and him at his own wedding?
    — from The Rainbow by D. H. Lawrence
  6. Second, the difference reminds us of larger differences of the same sort, and these help us to notice it.
    — from The Principles of Psychology, Volume 1 (of 2) by William James
  7. Of the Difference Between Analytical and Synthetical Judgements.
    — from The Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant

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