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Literary notes about Disavow (AI summary)

The word "disavow" in literature conveys a strong sense of repudiation, whether of ideas, alliances, or personal truths. For instance, in historical correspondence, it is used to denote an outright rejection of political agreements, as when Cortes disavows Napoleon's treaty in [1]. In more introspective contexts, as seen in Montaigne’s essay [2], the term captures the internal conflict of denying one’s own knowledge despite the discomfort of deception. Meanwhile, Tagore’s narrative in [3] employs "disavow" to articulate a renunciation of long-held cravings or desires, suggesting a deliberate shift in allegiance. Finally, the term takes on a broader, philosophical dimension in the questioning of faith and tradition, as illustrated in [4] and [5], where it challenges the abandonment of old gods without the adoption of new beliefs.
  1. February 5th.—Cortes disavow Napoleon's treaty of Valençay with Ferdinand VII.
    — from Napoleon's Letters to Josephine, 1796-1812 by Emperor of the French Napoleon I
  2. It is so great a pain to me to dissemble, that I evade the trust of another’s secrets, wanting the courage to disavow my knowledge.
    — from Essays of Michel de Montaigne — Complete by Michel de Montaigne
  3. The society of his sisters-in-Law so much infatuated him that at last Nabendu began to disavow his craving for European favours.
    — from The Hungry Stones, and Other Stories by Rabindranath Tagore
  4. Upon what do you base your hopes, you who disavow the old gods and have no new gods to take their place?
    — from Best Russian Short Stories
  5. Upon what do you base your hopes, you who disavow the old gods and have no new gods to take their place?
    — from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

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