Literary notes about Support (AI summary)
Writers deploy the term "support" in diverse ways, often using it both literally and metaphorically. In certain passages, it refers to the physical underpinning of structures or the human body—illustrated when a character leans against a tree for support ([1]) or when architectural elements are described as supporting a vault ([2]). At the same time, "support" functions as a metaphor for financial or emotional aid, as when a character promises personal backup ([3]) or explains the means to support a family ([4]). Additionally, the word enriches discussions about underlying arguments or faith, whether it’s used to buttress a political alliance ([5]) or to outline the premises for a belief system ([6]). Thus, the multifaceted use of "support" creates layers of meaning that enhance both the structural and thematic elements of literary works.
- The violence of her sobs shook her slender frame, and she was obliged to lean against the trunk of a tree for support.
— from Lady Audley's Secret by M. E. Braddon - During the eleventh century it became customary to carry up to the main vaulting one or more shafts of the compound pier to support the vaulting ribs.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - “'I will support you.' “'Thank you, sir; you are good.
— from Complete Original Short Stories of Guy De Maupassant by Guy de Maupassant - I am thinking of being married, for I have more than sufficient to support a family.
— from Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen by H. C. Andersen - And what must we expect these people to do, now that they have obtained the support of the Roman alliance?
— from The Histories of Polybius, Vol. 1 (of 2) by Polybius - “As soon as tea has been handed, I beg you to begin to speak of religion, to support his faith.”
— from The possessed : by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
