Literary notes about Document (AI summary)
In literature the term “document” often functions as much more than a mere piece of paper—it becomes a symbol loaded with authority, mystery, and historical resonance. Authors employ documents as tangible evidence of legal rights or personal agreements, as seen in Casanova’s transferring of rights ([1], [2], [3]), while Dickens and Verne use them as pivotal plot devices that unlock secrets or determine fates ([4], [5], [6]). In some works, a document’s physical form is central to the narrative’s suspense—a missing or discovered document may set events in motion ([7], [8], [9]). Meanwhile, in historical or political texts, documents embody formal records and legal proclamations, underscoring their role in governance and collective memory ([10], [11]). Whether arranged meticulously or produced on the fly, the document in these literary examples serves not only as a bearer of official weight but also as a bridge between personal drama and the broader tapestry of history.
- In this document he transferred to me all rights over the contents of the casino, and charged him to consider me in all things as his master.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova - This document, to which I affixed my signature, was laid before the criminal lieutenant.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova - I opened the document, and found it was signed “Louis.”
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova - ' Turning his back and turning a key, Mr Venus produced the document, holding on by his usual corner.
— from Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens - Since it was your intention to live alone, why did you throw into the sea the document which put us on your track?”
— from The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne - And so, as you have honoured me by anticipating, I examined the document.
— from Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens - The morning wore on without the desired document making its appearance, and I feared they would slip through my fingers altogether.
— from A Diplomat in Japan by Ernest Mason Satow - That I told them bluntly must be a lie, [pg 129] but they would not confess the source from which they had obtained the document.
— from A Diplomat in Japan by Ernest Mason Satow - “Yes, the document which we found enclosed in a bottle, giving us the exact position of Tabor Island!”
— from The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne - 3 Congressional Record , December 5, 1898, p. 5. 4 Senate Document 169 , 55th Cong., 3d Sess.
— from The American Occupation of the Philippines 1898-1912 by James H. Blount - Let the calamitie of an other be a sufficient document for you, to beware like iniuries.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson