Literary notes about Needy (AI summary)
In literature, the word needy is deployed to evoke a spectrum of vulnerability—both material and moral. In many religious writings, those described as needy are emblematic of impoverished yet virtuous souls who merit compassion and charitable intervention ([1], [2], [3]). At the same time, secular narratives use the term to depict individuals or groups who are socially dependent or even manipulative, as when political figures are labeled as needy adventurers seeking personal gain ([4], [5]). Authors also employ it to emphasize the stark contrasts between the opulent and the destitute, highlighting how even those surrounded by wealth might remain needy in spirit or circumstance ([6], [7]). This multifaceted use of the word underscores literary preoccupations with human frailty, the ethics of charity, and the complex interplay between poverty and dignity.
- Let not the humble be turned away with confusion: the poor and needy shall praise thy name.
— from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete - Eat thy bread with the hungry and the needy, and with thy garments cover the naked, 4:18.
— from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete - She hath opened her hand to the needy, and stretched out her hands to the poor.
— from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete - Carpet-bagger , a needy political adventurer who carries all his worldly goods in a carpet-bag.
— from The New Gresham Encyclopedia. A to Amide by Various - Danton and needy corruptible Patriots are sopped with presents of cash: they accept the sop: they rise refreshed by it, and travel their own way.
— from The French Revolution: A History by Thomas Carlyle - O, this same thought did but forerun my need, And this same needy man must sell it me.
— from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare - Meanwhile he wrote poetry and shared his wealth with needy Catholic relatives.
— from English Literature by William J. Long