Literary notes about features (AI summary)
In literature, the word "features" is a versatile descriptor that often conveys both the physical appearance and the underlying character or mood of a subject. Authors use it to capture not just the literal contours of a face—as when a character’s waxlike features slowly turn to reveal hidden terror [1] or when soft, delicate features evoke refined beauty [2]—but also to suggest deeper qualities such as inherited traits and emotional states [3, 4]. Beyond personal appearance, "features" extends its reach to landscapes, objects, and even abstract elements like software attributes or strategic aims, underscoring specific characteristics that define them [5, 6]. In each instance, the term serves as a concise yet evocative means to link appearance with meaning, enriching the narrative with layers of insight and symbolism.
- As the latter slowly turned his waxlike features toward him the youth screamed: "Gawd!
— from The Red Badge of Courage: An Episode of the American Civil War by Stephen Crane - ELVSTED is a woman of fragile figure, with pretty, soft features.
— from Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen - They both confirmed my praises by saying that everything I said of him could be read on his features.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova - From one of the proudest families in Kentucky he had inherited a set of fine European features, and a high, indomitable spirit.
— from Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe - Young Baskerville stared eagerly out of the window and cried aloud with delight as he recognized the familiar features of the Devon scenery.
— from The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle - How a conference grows into something useful, depends in part on the features of the software used by the online service.
— from The Online World by Odd De Presno
