Literary notes about Divest (AI summary)
The term "divest" in literature is employed to signify both a literal and metaphorical process of removal. It frequently appears in descriptions of characters shedding their clothing or accoutrements, as when a sailor is relieved of his “heavy copper carapaces” ([1]), or a character discards an outer garment in a moment of transition ([2], [3]). At the same time, the word conveys the more abstract act of relinquishing personal traits, emotions, or even powers, as when a writer cannot free himself from a persistent idea ([4]) or when authority is stripped away in the political arena ([5]). This multifaceted usage underscores divestment as a deliberate act of shedding that may be both physical and symbolic, enabling characters and institutions alike to redefine themselves.
- Back on board, the sailors helped divest us of our heavy copper carapaces.
— from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas: An Underwater Tour of the World by Jules Verne - “You're on,” said Billy, commencing to divest himself of his outer clothing.
— from The Mucker by Edgar Rice Burroughs - Entering the apartment with the bundle p. 143 under my arm, I proceeded to divest myself of my clothing.
— from Eighteen Months' Imprisonment by Shaw, Donald, late captain - The sight of the table spread, and the uneaten supper, renewed my grief, for I could not divest myself of the idea that Moodie was dead.
— from Roughing It in the Bush by Susanna Moodie - Six months later assembled the famous “long parliament,” which proceeded to divest the king of much of his power.
— from The Circle of Knowledge: A Classified, Simplified, Visualized Book of Answers
