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Literary notes about Encumbered (AI summary)

The term "encumbered" in literature conveys a sense of being burdened or weighed down, whether by physical objects or abstract forces. Authors employ it to depict characters hindered by tangible impediments such as heavy clothing, cumbersome equipment, or obstructive debris, as seen when a character struggles with gear that restricts his movement [1] or when clothing seems to glue the body in place [2]. At the same time, the word carries a metaphorical weight, describing institutions, ideas, or legacies burdened by outdated traditions and obligations [3] or estates saddled with financial liabilities [4]. In each instance, "encumbered" enriches the narrative by illustrating how both tangible and intangible encumbrances can impede progress or movement.
  1. Brian de Bois-Guilbert rolled on the field, encumbered with the stirrup, from which he was unable to draw his foot.
    — from Ivanhoe: A Romance by Walter Scott
  2. My clothes encumbered me; they seemed glued to my body, and paralysed my movements.
    — from Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea by Jules Verne
  3. What organization in the world's history has not encumbered the unfettered action of those who created it?
    — from History of Woman Suffrage, Volume I
  4. Will Miss Lucy be the sister of a very poor, fettered, burdened, encumbered man?"
    — from Villette by Charlotte Brontë

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