Literary notes about although (AI summary)
In literature, "although" serves as a versatile tool to introduce contrasts or concessions that add depth and nuance to a narrative. It often connects a main idea with an opposing or mitigating detail, signaling that while one assertion may hold true, another factor complicates or tempers it, as seen when a character’s inner conflict is revealed despite outward assurance ([1]) or when a situation appears one way on the surface while hinting at another underneath ([2]). The word's function stretches across genres and eras—from classical texts to modern novels—where it subtly modifies tone and meaning by suggesting that the forthcoming information, though seemingly contradictory, enriches the overall context ([3], [4]). This usage underscores the inherent complexity of human thoughts and circumstances, inviting readers to appreciate the interplay between opposing ideas.
- ,’ said the miller’s daughter, ‘you see I have come to see you, although we had some words last night.’
— from Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens - Although I fear not God nor regard man, 18:5.
— from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete - The leader of the gang, although he seems to have decisions absolutely in his hand, has a sense of the attitudes of his followers.
— from Introduction to the Science of Sociology by E. W. Burgess and Robert Ezra Park - But, although it was neat and clean, it did not seem quite the thing to put a girl there somehow.
— from Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
