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Literary notes about figures (AI summary)

In literature the word "figures" exhibits a rich versatility, functioning as a term that can denote personifications, physical forms, numerical data, and even symbolic representations. For instance, in the works of Victor Hugo, figures become vivid embodiments of virtues and vices, representing abstract qualities in tangible forms ([1], [2]). In historical and technical contexts, "figures" frequently refer to numerical data or illustrative diagrams, as seen in discussions of statistical outputs or instrument parts ([3], [4], [5]). Meanwhile, narrative fiction often uses "figures" to evoke the image of characters or groups—from the sleepy silhouettes on a train in Chekhov's tales ([6]) to the fast-moving, indistinct crowds observed by Wells and others ([7], [8]). Thus, across genres and eras, "figures" is a multifaceted term that can suggest both the literal and the metaphorical, enriching literary expression by linking the concrete with the abstract.
  1. Animals are nothing else than the figures of our virtues and our vices, straying before our eyes, the visible phantoms of our souls.
    — from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
  2. The peculiarity of a language which is desirous of saying all yet concealing all is that it is rich in figures.
    — from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
  3. [317] The 1921 figures for all countries given are preliminary.
    — from All About Coffee by William H. Ukers
  4. Yet in most cases, the actual production of these countries can only be estimated, as accurate figures, showing the exact output, are seldom kept.
    — from All About Coffee by William H. Ukers
  5. IMG Figures 38 to 42 are developments of the triad triangle, or trinity.
    — from Ancient Pagan and Modern Christian Symbolism by Thomas Inman and M.R.C.S.E. John Newton
  6. Sleepy figures, shrouded in the twilight of the railway carriages, start, shake their heads, and produce their tickets.
    — from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
  7. He heard people shouting, and saw a number of figures gathering together in the middle roadway of the village.
    — from The Country of the Blind, and Other Stories by H. G. Wells
  8. But at this moment he suddenly heard voices that seemed familiar to him, and in the glare of the sheet-lightning his eyes recognised human figures.
    — from Best Russian Short Stories

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