Literary notes about know (AI summary)
The word "know" in literature serves as a versatile link between the internal worlds of characters and the external realities they inhabit. It can connote intimate familiarity or deep understanding, as when a character asserts their awareness of emotional or social distances [1] or reveals personal insight into their nature [2]. At times it marks uncertainty or the beginning of an exploration, such as when a character admits, "I don't know what I'll do yet" [3], highlighting the unpredictability of life. In some cases, its usage extends to emphasize a universal or proverbial truth, encapsulating both the clarity and the mystery of human experience, as in the solemn reminder, "Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them" [4].
- I don’t say she and I are alike—I know there is a long, long way between us.
— from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens - I know you too well to suppose you would allow such a thing to pass you.”
— from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - “I don't know what I'll do yet,” said Carrie.
— from Sister Carrie: A Novel by Theodore Dreiser - Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.
— from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete
