Literary notes about reluctant (AI summary)
The word "reluctant" serves as a subtle yet powerful descriptor in literature, conveying hesitation or an unwillingness to proceed that deepens a character’s inner conflict or enriches a scene’s mood. It is often used to illustrate a physical or emotional pause, whether in a character’s forced smile [1] or a physically dragging step [2]. In some narratives, the term captures the contradiction of duty and desire—a character yielding a reluctant nod [3] or being drawn into situations against their will [4]—while in others it lends a delicate quality to transient moments, such as the hesitant glow of dusk [5]. Overall, "reluctant" not only underscores internal struggle but also enhances the thematic tension that runs throughout a narrative, as seen in various portrayals across literary works [6][7].
- Elizabeth tried to join in her father's pleasantry, but could only force one most reluctant smile.
— from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - He took his hat and went out, with a dragging, reluctant step.
— from Maggie: A Girl of the Streets by Stephen Crane - The old man answered with a reluctant nod.
— from Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens - Much better,” said Jerry, not unlike a reluctant witness at the establishment in question, “than I, as a honest tradesman, wish to know the Bailey.”
— from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens - The curtains ring apart, letting in the pale, reluctant light.
— from Bliss, and other stories by Katherine Mansfield - After a day or two of reluctant and ambiguous telegrams: “Public sentiment seems changing, a trifle in favor of the bill—but only a trifle.”
— from The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner - They used to go upstairs together on tiptoe, each with a candle, and on the third landing exchange reluctant good-nights.
— from Dubliners by James Joyce
