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Literary notes about greater (AI summary)

The word “greater” in literature serves as a versatile comparative adjective that conveys notions of increased intensity, magnitude, importance, or quality. Its usage ranges widely—from proclaiming future marvels as seen in Dostoyevsky’s bold exclamation (“We shall see greater things!” [1]) to denoting superior responsibility or punishment in works of etiquette and religious texts ([2], [3]). Authors employ it not only for physical or quantitative comparison, as in economic contexts where proportions of debt or goods are discussed ([4], [5]), but also to highlight abstract or emotional contrasts, such as the deepening gulf between characters or the increased intensity of a feeling ([6], [7]). Whether used to enhance narrative drama or to underscore social, moral, or intellectual distinctions, “greater” functions as a powerful tool to elevate the comparative dimension in a wide spectrum of literary genres.
  1. “We shall see greater things!” broke from him.
    — from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  2. (The former being in this day by far the greater responsibility!)
    — from Etiquette by Emily Post
  3. But a greater punishment is ready for the more mighty.
    — from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete
  4. In France, a much greater proportion of the public debts consists in annuities for lives than in England.
    — from An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
  5. upon the greater part of goods; and that of 1759, a fifth upon some particular sorts of goods.
    — from An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
  6. But as the intimacy of their life became deeper, the greater became the gulf that separated her from him.
    — from Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
  7. "Alas!" said she, "he no longer knows me," and her grief was ever greater.
    — from Household Tales by Brothers Grimm by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm

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