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Literary notes about choose (AI summary)

The word "choose" in literature often transcends its simple denotation of selecting from alternatives, emerging instead as a rich symbol of autonomy, moral judgment, and existential determination. In many works, it marks a pivotal moment where characters assert free will and face the consequences of their decisions—from the introspective questioning of societal rules in Dostoyevsky’s narrative ([1]) to Plato’s exploration of ethical responsibility ([2]). Shakespeare and Dumas use it to underscore the power dynamics in personal relationships and governance ([3], [4]), while authors like Nietzsche and James invoke it to reflect on the broader responsibilities of choosing one’s values and allegiances ([5], [6]). Even in more practical contexts, as seen in Chekhov’s narrative on selecting beauty among fragility ([7]) or Helen Keller’s choice of academic paths ([8]), “choose” serves as a potent marker of self-determination and moral deliberation throughout the literary canon.
  1. For who would want to choose by rule?
    — from Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  2. Shall I choose a fine, and to be imprisoned until I have paid it?
    — from Apology, Crito, and Phaedo of Socrates by Plato
  3. The one of them contains my picture, Prince; If you choose that, then I am yours withal.
    — from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
  4. “What horse dost thou choose for thyself?”
    — from Twenty years after by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet
  5. The ethical energy par excellence has to go farther and choose which interest out of several, equally coercive, shall become supreme.
    — from The Principles of Psychology, Volume 1 (of 2) by William James
  6. Choose the GOOD solitude, the free, wanton, lightsome solitude, which also gives you the right still to remain good in any sense whatsoever!
    — from Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
  7. Take out all the flowers carefully, try not to crush them, darling; I will choose among them later....
    — from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
  8. I passed off my English and advanced French before I entered college, and I choose the courses I like best.
    — from The Story of My Life by Helen Keller

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