Literary notes about Recluse (AI summary)
In literature, the term "recluse" often connotes a character who withdraws from society, embodying both mystery and introspection. In some works, the recluse is portrayed as a figure whose isolation contributes to a unique wisdom and occasionally a sharp, enigmatic presence, as seen in the witty retorts and pensive moments found in Victor Hugo’s writings [1][2][3][4]. At the same time, other texts employ the notion of reclusion to emphasize a life dedicated to scholarly pursuit, penitence, or spiritual retreat, lending the term a multifaceted significance—from erudite isolation in Jefferson’s depiction [5] to the evocative solitude of a pastoral figure in the narrative of Edgar Lee Masters [6]. This layered use of "recluse" not only highlights physical seclusion but also symbolizes a broader departure from conventional social existence, marking the character as both an enigma and a reflective observer of the world.
- yes!” returned the recluse, “you must have been born.
— from Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo - “By the way,” she exclaimed, “we are forgetting the recluse!
— from Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo - “I do perceive it,” said the recluse; “‘tis two days now since I have had any water in my crock.”
— from Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo - The recluse sprang to her feet with a shriek of despair.
— from Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo - He is a great scholar, and has always had more or less the habits of a recluse.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - Paul was invalided from over study, Mary became a recluse at home for love of a man— I sat under my cedar tree.
— from Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters
