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Literary notes about SLAM (AI summary)

Writers employ the word “slam” to evoke a visceral sense of impact and finality that resonates both in auditory and emotional terms. In many narratives, a door’s abrupt closure is rendered with a “slam” that signals sudden change or tension, as seen when a door is described being shut with such force it nearly brings one to tears [1] or when its violent closing underscores a character's departure [2]. Beyond the literal, “slam” also serves as a dynamic metaphor for emphatic action or criticism, exemplified in its use to articulate a forceful confrontation with truth [3] or to denote aggressive behavior in dialogue [4]. This dual capacity to signify both physical and metaphorical abruptness enhances the rhythm of storytelling and deepens the reader’s sensory engagement.
  1. When their eyes met, the door was suddenly shut with such a slam that Pulcheria Alexandrovna almost cried out.
    — from Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  2. But this morning she had been awakened by one great slam of the front door.
    — from Bliss, and other stories by Katherine Mansfield
  3. Here is one which—well, now, how often we do slam right into the truth without ever suspecting it:
    — from What Is Man? and Other Essays by Mark Twain
  4. And if anybody acts up rough you slam him on the jaw—don't argue, don't wait—just slam him good, and I'll come on the hop."
    — from The Flaming Jewel by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers

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