Literary notes about Predecessor (AI summary)
The term "predecessor" appears in literature with remarkable versatility, serving as a bridge between past and present, tradition and innovation. Authors often invoke it to reference a former holder of an office or role, emphasizing continuity or contrast between successive figures—for example, when noting the differing qualities of those who held power in works like [1] and [2]. At times, it is used to evoke a personal or historical legacy, enabling characters to compare themselves with or to learn from those who came before, as seen in [3] and [4]. In other instances, the word takes on a critical or even humorous tone, drawing attention to flaws, rivalries, or unintended legacies (e.g., [5] and [6]). Across this spectrum—from denoting simply a previous occupant of a title to symbolizing the cumulative weight of history—the use of "predecessor" enriches the narrative by situating current events within a broader tapestry of inherited actions and memories (as further noted in [7] and [8]).
- His predecessor under the old charter, Bradstreet, a venerable companion of the first settlers, was known to be in town.
— from Twice-told tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne - [272] "Marcy was the immediate predecessor of Wright as state comptroller and United States senator.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - ‘Then,’ I continued, ‘my predecessor’s name was Linton?’
— from Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë - My wife's father was my predecessor here, and I cannot tell you how fond he was of that tree; and it is fully as dear to me.
— from The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - Priscus Tarquinius was slain by his predecessor's sons.
— from The City of God, Volume I by Bishop of Hippo Saint Augustine - When a man is bound by the action of his predecessor—' 'But C25 may have lied.'
— from Kim by Rudyard Kipling - This measure received, at the hands of Congress, far more thorough discussion and attention than its predecessor.
— from The Souls of Black Folk by W. E. B. Du Bois - This Predecessor of ours, you see, is dressed after this manner, and his Cheeks would be no larger than mine, were he in a Hat as I am.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson
