Literary notes about Loth (AI summary)
The word "loth" is used in literature to convey a deep-seated reluctance or unwillingness to act, often highlighting a character’s internal conflict or reservation. It appears in varied contexts—from an individual's hesitation to cause distress or part with something dear, as seen when a character is "loth to distress you" [1] or "loth to part with" money [2], to the poignant resistance found in epic narratives where warriors and heroes are depicted with an almost fated reluctance to engage in battle [3, 4]. In more introspective moments, the term enriches character portrayal by suggesting an unspoken emotional burden or moral dilemma, such as being "loth to speak" or "loth to leave" a cherished environment [5, 6]. This usage serves as a subtle yet powerful tool for authors to express complex emotional states without lengthy exposition [7, 8].
- I am loth to distress you, Rosanna; but don’t run away with the notion that Mr. Franklin is ever likely to quarrel with her .
— from The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins - She offered the money to the Sergeant, looking mighty loth to part with it all the while.
— from The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins - Then when he had put the goodly armour on the chariot and had himself mounted, he lashed his horses on and they flew forward nothing loth.
— from The Iliad by Homer - Thereon he lashed his horses and they flew forward nothing loth midway twixt earth and starry heaven.
— from The Iliad by Homer - Every day she seems to get fonder and fonder of her uncle, and more loth to part from all of us.
— from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens - But I don't know how it is—I am loth to quit these old walls I have lived in so long.'
— from The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Ward Radcliffe - This it was that made me agree to forego the possession of the trinket; which, I must confess, I was loth to part with.
— from Barry Lyndon by William Makepeace Thackeray - ’Tis not due yet; I would be loth to pay Him before His day.
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
