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Literary notes about That (AI summary)

Writers employ the word "that" in literature as a versatile tool to introduce clauses, clarify relationships, and emphasize particular ideas or objects. It often functions as a conjunction connecting thoughts or events, as seen when a character’s realization is extended by a clause further explaining their emotions [1] or when a sentiment is underscored by the affirmation of a right [2]. At times, it acts as a demonstrative pronoun to point directly to something specific, like a reference to a gesture or circumstance [3] or even to enhance characterization through pointed dialogue [4]. Whether used to specify details, articulate cause and effect, or simply to guide the reader through complex sentence structures, the usage of "that" remains a staple of literary style and clarity [5][6].
  1. He was astonished that Hurstwood had done this; very sorry that it had come about as it had.
    — from Sister Carrie: A Novel by Theodore Dreiser
  2. We have paid for the right to look at the matter plainly and simply, and we will not abandon that right.
    — from War and Peace by graf Leo Tolstoy
  3. O that I were a glove upon that hand, That I might touch that cheek!
    — from The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
  4. I’m sure my talk must be far more amusing than that.’
    — from Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë
  5. "Charming!" said the General, and even the General's lady acknowledged that it was easy to see what the boy had meant to draw.
    — from Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen by H. C. Andersen
  6. It is not true that they have failed to make him free; they have taught him to rule himself.
    — from Emile by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

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