Literary notes about indication (AI summary)
The term "indication" operates as a nuanced signal within literary works, often serving as a discreet pointer to underlying emotions, intentions, or evidential details that enrich the narrative. It may denote a subtle, almost imperceptible hint—as when a character’s mute suggestion of a forthcoming speech is noted [1]—or mark a more tangible sign of possession, fate, or quality, such as a token of divine favor [2] or a physical trait suggesting long nails [3]. Beyond these concrete cues, the word encapsulates abstract confirmations, like the presence of ripened experience or an inference of moral consciousness [4] [5], and even enters technical discourse in discussions of functionality or design [6]. Through such varied employment, "indication" invites readers to infer deeper meanings behind both minor gestures and significant events, imbuing the text with layered dimensions that rely on subtle evidence and allusion [7] [8].
- She has given a faint indication of intending to speak.
— from Bleak House by Charles Dickens - To which he immediately replied, "A mighty indication of God's favor to me, that I am forced to use this wine-press instead of a thrashing-floor!"
— from Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus - It had five well-marked foot-pads, an indication of long nails, and the whole print might be nearly as large as a dessert-spoon.
— from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle - Its presence is an indication of ripened experience, and of a more than ordinary knowledge of the laws and operations of thought.
— from As a man thinketh by James Allen - Indeed, the sense of shame seems to me to be the earliest indication of the moral consciousness of our race.
— from Bushido, the Soul of Japan by Inazo Nitobe - The engineer was much surprised at not seeing any indication of the discharge of water.
— from The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne - "If you notice," he said—he peered between the feet of the great angels— "there's no particular indication of a Celestial City."
— from The Country of the Blind, and Other Stories by H. G. Wells - It is at once a consequence and an indication of his perennial existence.
— from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition by Edgar Allan Poe
