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Literary notes about Pester (AI summary)

The word "pester" in literature is often used to depict a persistent, sometimes intrusive form of annoyance or harassment that can both propel dialogue and reveal character traits. In dramatic dialogues, characters inquire in exasperation or rebuke when one is bothered repeatedly, as seen when a character exclaims, “Why the devil do you pester me?” ([1]). In narratives, it can denote needless or fussy behavior, whether in conversations about personal grievances, such as refusing further unwanted attention or in commentary on societal interactions, like when a character laments being pestered with incessant queries or demands ([2], [3]). Additionally, the term appears in a range of contexts from lighthearted teasing to serious admonitions, underscoring its versatility in expressing the subtle irritation of incessant interference, such as in scenes where characters insist, “Don't pester me” ([4], [5]). Overall, its usage enriches dialogue and narrative tension by capturing the nuisance of repeated impositions in human interactions.
  1. “Why the devil do you pester me?” “Come, gentlemen,” interposed the inspector, making a woebegone face.
    — from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
  2. Apropos of her acquaintance with Fyodor Pavlovitch, she remarked curtly, “That's all nonsense, and was it my fault that he would pester me?”
    — from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  3. At first he was afraid that she would worry him about religion, would talk about the gospel and pester him with books.
    — from Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  4. How dare you come out of your station, and your place in my house, to pester this young lady with your impudent addresses?'
    — from Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
  5. I always hoped you would have sense enough not to pester me.…
    — from The possessed : by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

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