Literary notes about espionage (AI summary)
The term "espionage" in literature has appeared in a variety of contexts, reflecting its flexibility as both a literal and metaphorical device. For instance, Bernard Shaw employs the word to critique state security practices amid public dissent, demonstrating its political connotation in [1]. In contrast, Wirt Sikes uses espionage to underscore personal suspicions within domestic relationships, broadening its application to interpersonal realms [2]. Agatha Christie’s playful repetition in [3] and [4] hints at the word’s pivotal role in mystery narratives, where it teases the reader with hidden truths. Similarly, John Buchan’s reference to aerial espionage in [5] and the usage in Charlotte Brontë’s "Villette" ([6] and [7]) evoke an image of surveillance that borders on the invasive, simultaneously symbolizing control and rebellion. Even translations, as seen in Benito Pérez Galdós’s work [8], confirm the term’s universal resonance across languages and cultures.
- THE BYSTANDERS GENERALLY [demonstrating against police espionage] Course they could.
— from Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw - A husband who is suspected of having a termagant wife, is made the subject of espionage.
— from British Goblins: Welsh Folk-lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions by Wirt Sikes - But for espionage, mon ami .” “Espionage?”
— from The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie - But for espionage, mon ami .” “Espionage?”
— from The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie - I did not like this espionage from the air, and I began to think less well of the countryside I had chosen for a refuge.
— from The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan - "Surveillance," "espionage,"—these were her watchwords.
— from Villette by Charlotte Brontë - As Madame Beck ruled by espionage, she of course had
— from Villette by Charlotte Brontë - espionaje m ; espionage, spying.
— from Doña Perfecta by Benito Pérez Galdós