Literary notes about Sympathy (AI summary)
In literature, "sympathy" functions as a multifaceted concept that can denote deep, personal compassion as well as a broader moral or social bond. It is used to evoke the tender empathy characters feel toward one another—whether manifesting as intimate protection or a reflective understanding of shared suffering [1, 2]—and to suggest a subtle, even mystical connection between disparate human experiences [3]. At times, authors explore its paradoxical nature, where sympathy not only comforts but also complicates relationships and social judgments, thereby underscoring both the strengths and limitations of our emotional ties [4, 5]. This versatility renders sympathy a vital tool in shaping character interactions and revealing the nuanced contours of human connection [6, 7].
- He could give her sympathy; he could give her help.
— from The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot - She felt comforted at once by the sympathy and confidence given her.
— from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - Who can tell what metals the gods use in forging the subtle bond which we call sympathy, which we might as well call love.
— from The Awakening, and Selected Short Stories by Kate Chopin - For my own part, I begin to love him as a brother, and his constant and deep grief fills me with sympathy and compassion.
— from Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley - We are soaked in the oil of indulgence and of sympathy, we are absurdly just we forgive everything.
— from The Twilight of the Idols; or, How to Philosophize with the Hammer. The Antichrist by Nietzsche - With sympathy your case I view; For I am sure it's hard on you.
— from Lysistrata by Aristophanes - His was the gift of sympathy, understanding; and beneath his alarmed exterior that sympathetic process went on.
— from Martin Eden by Jack London
