Literary notes about gesture (AI summary)
In literature, the term "gesture" serves as a concise yet potent signal, conveying a spectrum of emotions and intentions beyond spoken language. It might denote an act of despair or resignation, as when a character abandons a pursuit with a sorrowful sweep of the hand [1], or a subtle motion that hints at mystery or empathy [2][3]. Authors employ gestures to reveal inner turmoil or character resolve, such as a decisive directional command on a ship [4] or a dismissive flick that shuts down further discussion [5]. Whether marking approval, defiance, apology, or even a silent demand for attention [6][7], gestures imbue narrative moments with layers of meaning, bridging the gap between the physical and emotional worlds.
- He was at one time engrossed in the study of our home and foreign politics, but he soon gave up the undertaking with a gesture of despair.
— from The possessed : by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - “Pale moons like that one”—Amory made a vague gesture—“make people mysterieuse.
— from This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald - Contenting myself, accordingly, with a gesture of loving sympathy, I left the room.
— from Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse - At a mere gesture from him, the helmsman would instantly change the Nautilus's heading.
— from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas: An Underwater Tour of the World by Jules Verne - Fauchelevent made, with his left hand, that sort of a gesture which dismisses a troublesome subject.
— from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo - [With a gesture of despair, he obeys and sits down again].
— from Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw - he added, with a gesture of kingly condescension.
— from War and Peace by graf Leo Tolstoy