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Literary notes about done (AI summary)

The word “done” in literature functions as much more than a simple past participle of “do”; it serves as a versatile marker of completion, achievement, and even consequence. In some works it denotes the finality of actions or states, as when a character declares that their duty is finished, such as “I have done my duty” ([1]), or when an event is succinctly wrapped up with “No sooner said than done” ([2]). In narrative contexts, “done” can also signal a transition or result—after finishing one task, a character may move on to the next phase of their journey, as seen in the reflective “That done I went over the water…” ([3]). Beyond its literal application, “done” sometimes adds a layer of commentary about the state of affairs, be it moral, social, or practical, thereby enriching the texture and pacing of the narrative ([4], [5]). Overall, the varied uses of “done” illustrate its power to encapsulate both physical completion and emotional or thematic resolution within a succinct word.
  1. I have done my duty.”
    — from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  2. " No sooner said than done.
    — from Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen by H. C. Andersen
  3. That done I went over the water and walked over the fields to Southwark, and so home and to my lute.
    — from The Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete by Samuel Pepys
  4. To get back to that time and have done with all the present!
    — from War and Peace by graf Leo Tolstoy
  5. And what of that?—you may reply—the thing is done every day.
    — from The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

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