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Literary notes about exposition (AI summary)

In literature, the word "exposition" is employed in a multifaceted manner, ranging from the detailed explanation of abstract ideas to the structured presentation of narrative elements. Philosophers such as Kant and Schopenhauer use exposition to methodically break down complex metaphysical or logical concepts, providing clarity to their arguments [1][2][3]. At the same time, writers like Rabelais and Dickens incorporate exposition as a narrative tool that lays the groundwork for characters and plots, delineating underlying ideologies while complementing the overall storyline [4][5]. Additionally, the term extends into the realm of public and cultural expression, denoting events and addresses that showcase art, science, or progress, as reflected in the accounts of public gatherings and displays [6][7]. This dual role highlights exposition as both a clarifying analytical method and a vehicle for enriching literary expression.
  1. § 2. Metaphysical Exposition of this Conception.
    — from The Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant
  2. But before we go on to the exposition referred to, we must first explain and more exactly define this freedom and its relation to necessity.
    — from The World as Will and Idea (Vol. 1 of 3) by Arthur Schopenhauer
  3. But not to interrupt and complicate my own exposition by a constant polemic against Kant, I have relegated this to a special appendix.
    — from The World as Will and Idea (Vol. 1 of 3) by Arthur Schopenhauer
  4. I love the exposition, and the allegory pleaseth me; but not according to the sense whereto you stretch it.
    — from Gargantua and Pantagruel by François Rabelais
  5. The truth is, that after the First Act, which is really filled by the exposition, Lear suffers but hardly initiates action
    — from Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth by A. C. Bradley
  6. The Atlanta Exposition Address Chapter XV.
    — from Up from Slavery: An Autobiography by Booker T. Washington
  7. With the passing of this bill the success of the Atlanta Exposition was assured.
    — from Up from Slavery: An Autobiography by Booker T. Washington

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