Literary notes about Penitence (AI summary)
In literature, penitence is often portrayed as a multifaceted emotion that marks a character’s inner struggle and quest for redemption. It can be depicted as a deeply personal feeling of regret or as a public, almost ritualistic acknowledgment of guilt, serving as a bridge between human frailty and the hope of forgiveness ([1], [2]). Authors sometimes highlight the tension between sincere remorse and mere formality, underscoring a transformative process that can lead characters to both moral rebuilding and spiritual renewal ([3], [4]). This rich, layered concept is employed to explore themes of divine mercy, personal atonement, and the complexities of human emotion, illuminating the path from despair to the possibility of redemption ([5], [6]).
- If only your penitence fail not, God will forgive all.
— from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - God absolves as soon as He sees penitence in the heart; the Church when she sees it in works.
— from Pascal's Pensées by Blaise Pascal - Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome with penitence and grief.
— from A Christmas Carol in Prose; Being a Ghost Story of Christmas by Charles Dickens - Fred followed her with his eyes, hoping that they would meet hers, and in that way find access for his imploring penitence.
— from Middlemarch by George Eliot - Then a strict life and sincere penitence shall bring deeper pleasure than all earthly delight.
— from The Imitation of Christ by à Kempis Thomas - Is it not better to commit a wickedness which penitence may heal, than a crime which leaves no place for healing contrition?
— from The City of God, Volume I by Bishop of Hippo Saint Augustine
