Literary notes about THEM (AI summary)
In literature, the pronoun "them" functions as a versatile referent that can signal a group of people, objects, or abstract ideas without repeating the noun, thereby enhancing fluidity and cohesion. For example, in a commanding, almost brisk narrative tone, Disraeli’s use in “open them all” [1] shows "them" substituting for a series of items (windows) meant to be acted upon, while in Grimms' tale [2] it helps evoke familial connections by standing in for siblings. "Them" also assumes broader, sometimes symbolic roles, as when it designates entire collectives—be they the saved in biblical exodus narratives [3] or the dual archetypes of male and female in divine creation [4]. Moreover, examples in historical recounting, like those in Thucydides [5] or Pepys [6], illustrate how "them" can accumulate nuance over narrative time, alluding to groups whose identity is defined by their actions or fate. Each usage, whether in dialogue [7] or descriptive passages [8], subtly underscores the importance of context in determining what "them" encapsulates, making it a key device for maintaining narrative continuity across diverse literary genres.
- “Waiter, give me some Seltzer water; and open another window; open them all.”
— from Sybil, Or, The Two Nations by Earl of Beaconsfield Benjamin Disraeli - Then she was much grieved, and went to her father and mother, and asked if she had any brothers, and what had become of them.
— from Grimms' Fairy Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm - But thou hast saved us from them that afflict us: and hast put them to shame that hate us.
— from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete - But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female.
— from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete - The Thebans, finding themselves outwitted, immediately closed up to repel all attacks made upon them.
— from The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides - That being done, I sent them going and myself fell to business till dinner.
— from The Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete by Samuel Pepys - You might as well note down a few while I read them to you.
— from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition by Edgar Allan Poe - As they rounded the curve below the beech wood a plump figure came speeding over Mr. Andrews’ pasture, waving to them excitedly.
— from Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery