Literary notes about kismet (AI summary)
The term "kismet" appears in literature as a multifaceted emblem of fate and destiny, often invoked to underscore the inexorable pull of circumstance. In James Joyce's Ulysses, for example, the word is used in a variety of tones—from a resigned exclamation to a subtle commentary on life's inevitable outcomes ([1], [2], [3], [4]). Rudyard Kipling’s Kim employs "kismet" in conversational exchanges, suggesting both acceptance of fate and a playful negotiation with it, as seen when characters use the term to signal an unavoidable result or to lighten the gravity of a situation ([5], [6], [7], [8]). F. Scott Fitzgerald also touches on this motif in This Side of Paradise, where "kismet" marks the sudden and passionate emergence of love ([9]). Together, these examples reveal how "kismet" bridges different narrative voices to highlight the universal and often uncontrollable nature of destiny.