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Literary notes about bug (AI summary)

In literature, the word "bug" is a versatile term that transcends its literal meaning as a tiny insect to serve as a marker of character, fate, or even technology’s idiosyncrasies. In classic works, for instance, L. Frank Baum’s recurring Woggle-Bug is portrayed with both whimsy and wisdom, blending the absurdity of an insect into a figure of erudition [1], [2]. Authors like Edgar Allan Poe twist the term to evoke mystery, misfortune, or scorn, as when a character attributes an inexplicable misadventure to being “bit” by a bug [3], [4]. Mark Twain and others further expand its range by equating a simple insect with a metaphor for life’s transient nature or societal quirks [5], while modern narratives even repurpose the term to hint at technical glitches in digital realms [6]. Across these various contexts—from literal entomological references to metaphorical or even ironic applications—the word "bug" illustrates how a seemingly small creature can assume multiple, layered meanings in literature.
  1. Does it not occur to you that I am several thousand times greater than any Woggle-Bug you ever saw before?
    — from The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum
  2. Why, indeed!" echoed the Woggle-Bug, impressively.
    — from The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum
  3. “This bug is to make my fortune,” he continued, with a triumphant smile, “to reinstate me in my family possessions.
    — from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition by Edgar Allan Poe
  4. And why did you insist upon letting fall the bug, instead of a bullet, from the skull?”
    — from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 1 by Edgar Allan Poe
  5. It is better to be a young June-bug than an old bird of paradise.
    — from The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson by Mark Twain
  6. The fact that I can do so with digital files is not a bug, it's a feature, and a damned fine one.
    — from Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

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