Literary notes about brain (AI summary)
The term "brain" is deployed with remarkable versatility in literature, serving both as a metaphor for mental capacity and as a literal reference to physical and physiological processes. In some works, it is portrayed as a container of sensory experience and imaginative thought—for instance, an entire world of sensations residing within it [1] or the fires of indignation that set it ablaze [2]. In other instances, the brain signifies rationality and cool, logical function, as seen in the depiction of a "cool, clear, common-sense brain" that aids professional success [3]. Meanwhile, authors delve into its anatomical and neurological significance, discussing currents of activity and the intricate pathways that underlie intellectual thought [4],[5]. Whether symbolizing creativity, intellect, or the seat of emotions, the brain is consistently framed as a central and dynamic element in the human experience [6],[7].
- But all creatures, all objects, pass into my brain entire, and occupy the same extent there that they do in material space.
— from The World I Live In by Helen Keller - Meantime, my brain was on fire with indignation, and my heart seemed ready to burst from its prison with conflicting passions.
— from The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë - He had a solid grip of fact and a cool, clear, common-sense brain, which should take him some way in his profession.
— from The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle - It is a purely physical phenomenon, a morphological feature, the presence of these 'paths,' namely, in the finest recesses of the brain's tissue.
— from The Principles of Psychology, Volume 1 (of 2) by William James - Brain-activity seems accompanied by a local disengagement of heat.
— from The Principles of Psychology, Volume 1 (of 2) by William James - To tell the truth, an idea, wild and extravagant in itself, had once or twice that morning flashed through my brain.
— from The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie - "Brain against brute force—and brain came out on the top—as it's bound to do.
— from The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
