Literary notes about Smothering (AI summary)
In literature, "smothering" is frequently employed to evoke a sense of oppressive force or suffocating confinement, whether literal or metaphorical. It can describe physical envelopment, as when an entity is overwhelmed by thick mud [1] or a stifling blanket [2], or suggest the weight of intense emotions, as in a character stifling a sob [3] or suppressing a laugh [4]. The term effectively captures both the sensation of being physically constrained, like the confined cab that felt oppressively tight [5], and the experience of emotional or moral constriction—a metaphorical shroud that can choke passion or will. This versatile usage illustrates the power of "smothering" in literature to symbolize the inescapable forces that constrain and overwhelm.
- the crocodile, after smothering him effectually (as it thought) in the thick mud, retired to await the end.
— from Malay Magic by Walter William Skeat - He tried to stand, to break out from the smothering blanket.
— from The Tarn of Eternity by Frank Tymon - "There, now you'll have to go," Ned said at last, smothering one more sob, and loosening his arms.
— from Harper's Young People, May 25, 1880An Illustrated Weekly by Various - “But Clare is right,” said Edgar, smothering his laugh.
— from Squire Arden; volume 1 of 3 by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant - The cab had a sense of smothering confinement for him.
— from A Woman's War: A Novel by Warwick Deeping
