Literary notes about preposterous (AI summary)
In literature, the adjective "preposterous" is frequently employed to underscore ideas, actions, or situations that defy reason and common sense. Authors use it to convey incredulity, often imbuing their narratives with humor or biting criticism when faced with absurd scenarios. For instance, it is wielded to dismiss outlandish notions in character dialogue, as seen when Dickens exclaims against nonsensical talk [1] or when a character ridicules an impractical idea [2]. At other times, the term accentuates the blatant contrast between rational behavior and ludicrous ambition, whether in social or political contexts [3, 4]. Its versatile usage—ranging from a gentle mockery of absurdity to a more emphatic denunciation of nonsensical claims—allows writers to enrich their characterizations and underscore the thematic tensions within their works [5, 6].
- Oh!’ ‘My dearest,’ I remonstrated, ‘don’t talk preposterous nonsense!
— from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens - "You selfish young man," he shouted, quivering with wrath, "what a preposterous idea!
— from Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda - The sultan frowned at this preposterous choice; but he smiled at the artful flattery of his vizier.
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - [2653] dejection of mind, much discontent, preposterous judgment.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - iii, page 796) that this was on my part a preposterous error.
— from The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin - To assume that one can fully know Him by forty-five years of meditation is rather a preposterous expectation.
— from Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda
