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Literary notes about indecisive (AI summary)

In literature, "indecisive" imbues both characters and events with a sense of uncertainty and hesitation. Authors employ the term to highlight personal vacillations—whether it is a character lamenting a hazy future or expressing a lack of resolve in speech, as when one fumbles through their words ([1], [2], [3], [4]). At the same time, the word is frequently applied to military and historical narratives, where battles and engagements are marked by ambiguous outcomes and a failure to reach decisive conclusions ([5], [6], [7], [8]). This dual use not only underscores the psychological intricacies of characters but also mirrors the chaotic and uncertain nature of conflict, reflecting broader themes of ambivalence and unsettled fate in both personal and political realms ([9], [10]).
  1. But he was still lamentably indecisive about his future, and when a new printer looked in upon the Advance he stepped aside.
    — from The Wrong Twin by Harry Leon Wilson
  2. In ordinary circumstances he is much like Hamlet—-wavering, indecisive, introspective to a fault.
    — from Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War by Christopher Leadem
  3. For a moment Steve sat silent, indecisive, frowning deeply.
    — from Starman's Quest by Robert Silverberg
  4. “What are you talking about?” said George with an indecisive smile.
    — from The Golden Flood by Edwin Lefevre
  5. This battle, in which thirty ships-of-the-line fought on either side, was wholly indecisive in its results.
    — from The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783 by A. T. Mahan
  6. This action, fought September 10, 1759, was as indecisive as the two former; but D'Aché retreated, after a very bloody contest.
    — from The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783 by A. T. Mahan
  7. Warned of their danger, the Sabines fought a stout and indecisive battle, in which many fell, amongst them Hostilius.
    — from Plutarch's Lives, Volume 1 (of 4) by Plutarch
  8. The fight was severe, lasting from ten in the morning till five in the afternoon, but was entirely indecisive.
    — from The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783 by A. T. Mahan
  9. "Admiral de Chateau–Renault was so indecisive as to obey this directive, and the galleons entered the Bay of Vigo.
    — from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas: An Underwater Tour of the World by Jules Verne
  10. Enough nitrogen was thrown away in some indecisive battle on the Aisne to save India from a famine.
    — from Creative Chemistry: Descriptive of Recent Achievements in the Chemical Industries by Edwin E. (Edwin Emery) Slosson

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