Literary notes about absently (AI summary)
In literature, the adverb "absently" is used to convey a state of distraction or preoccupation that subtly colors a character’s speech or actions. Writers employ it to indicate that a character is physically present yet mentally distant—as when a character half-heartedly makes an offer or comment [1], gazes without truly seeing what lies before them [2], or even mechanically engages in a habitual act like drawing patterns on gravel [3]. This usage lends a layer of psychological complexity, suggesting an inner world where the mind drifts away from the immediate surroundings, a nuance found in works by authors such as Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy [4, 5].
- “Don’t you think,” observed Angus, absently, “that it’s rather cruel to eat these halfpenny buns?
— from The innocence of Father Brown by G. K. Chesterton - But his eyes were fixed on the floor, where he was moving the end of his stick, as if he were pondering on something absently.
— from Silas Marner by George Eliot - She had furled her parasol and sat absently drawing patterns on the gravel.
— from The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton - “I knew nothing about your home before,” said the prince absently, as if he were thinking of something else.
— from The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - “Yes, yes,” answered Prince Andrew absently.
— from War and Peace by graf Leo Tolstoy
