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Literary notes about answer (AI summary)

In literature, "answer" is deployed in a range of subtle and forceful ways that enrich character interaction and thematic depth. It can function as a direct retort or a measured, cautious response, as when a character declares, “my answer is…” to issue a firm directive [1] or when a question is urgently put forth to probe deeper motives [2]. At times, the term conveys an inherent duty or accountability—for instance, a reply that implicitly acknowledges responsibility or hints at forthcoming consequences [3, 4]. There are also moments where the act of answering, or even the silence that ensues before one is given an answer, creates dramatic tension and invites reflection on the unseen forces at work in human relationships [5, 6]. In each instance, the word serves as a linchpin in the narrative, its nuances inviting readers to weigh both what is spoken and what lingers unexpressed.
  1. my answer is, “If you really wish to do any thing, resign your office.”
    — from On the Duty of Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau
  2. Do answer me this question, if you please?’
    — from The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens
  3. and I do believe it will cost blood to answer for these miscarriages.
    — from The Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete by Samuel Pepys
  4. But it's hard to have to answer for that murder with another, a terrible murder of which I am not guilty....
    — from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  5. I made no answer; a deep sigh, which escaped Lord Orville at that moment, reached my ears, and gave me sensations-which I dare not mention!
    — from Evelina, Or, the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World by Fanny Burney
  6. The nurse made no answer, but as soon as the Queen had disappeared she went to the King and told him all.
    — from The Red Fairy Book

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