Literary notes about disarray (AI summary)
In literature, the term disarray is employed to evoke vivid images of chaos and breakdown, whether describing a physical mess or an emotional turmoil. It can depict a scene of scattered objects or untidy appearances—as illustrated when hair or belongings lie neglected ([1], [2], [3], [4])—or signify the inner states of distress and confusion that overwhelm a character ([5], [6], [7]). Moreover, disarray is used to capture the collapse of order in broader contexts, such as the havoc of battle or the ruin of once-organized structures ([8], [9], [10]), thus serving as a versatile tool for conveying both external chaos and internal disjunction.
- Bet Baxter, her blond hair in disarray, caught the girl by the shoulders and gave her a rough but affectionate shake.
— from The Merriweather Girls in Quest of Treasure by Lizette M. Edholm - Above it, on a wide mantel, was a disarray of books, cigar-boxes, pipes and papers, the papers weighted oddly with a jar of obviously pickled frogs.
— from The Innocent Adventuress by Mary Hastings Bradley - Stella's traveling bag sprawled wide open, with many of her effects strewn about in attractive disarray.
— from The Film Mystery by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve - Her cheeks were wet with tears, and her silken brown hair fell in careless disarray.
— from Astounding Stories, August, 1931 by Various - She seemed, unconquered, to triumph over her disarray and the agitation of her body.
— from The Dwelling Place of Light — Volume 2 by Winston Churchill - He was returning with his heart in disarray, with his heart in a tumult and in distress.
— from Ramuntcho by Pierre Loti - She was in fact keyed up by it, excited, taken out of herself to an unprecedented extent, her native optimism and egoism in singular disarray.
— from Deadham Hard: A Romance by Lucas Malet - And now the Scottish lines were broke Wi’ rout and disarray, And many a man was lost in [Tweed] That strove to flee that day.
— from Rhymes of Northern Bards Being a Curious Collection of Old and New Songs and Poems, Peculiar to the Counties of Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, and Durham - An important part of the US military machine would be in utter disarray.
— from Underground: Hacking, madness and obsession on the electronic frontier by Suelette Dreyfus - In the centre of the esplanade is the magnificent pagoda which was struck by a shell and which is still in battle disarray.
— from The Last Days of Pekin by Pierre Loti
