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Literary notes about scatterbrained (AI summary)

In literature, "scatterbrained" is employed to depict characters with a tendency for disorganized, impulsive, or absent-minded behavior, often carrying both humorous and critical undertones. Authors use the term to highlight a character's lack of focus or unpredictability—as seen in the description of a comically erratic youth in one narrative [1] or the light-hearted self-criticism of an overly distracted character [2]. The word also serves as a subtle insult, characterizing individuals as unreliable or foolish, as when a father warns against raising a "scatterbrained good-for-nought" [3], yet it can simultaneously imbue a sense of whimsical charm, as in the portrayal of a visionary with turbulent yet creative energies [4]. This multi-faceted term enriches character development by aligning behavioral quirks with the broader thematic currents of chaos, creativity, and the human propensity for distraction.
  1. "Harry" proved to be a gay, scatterbrained youth, more or less in love with his beautiful cousin.
    — from A Colony of Girls by Kate Livingston Willard
  2. We were too scatterbrained for that,” laughed Laura.
    — from Nan Sherwood at Lakeview Hall; Or, The Mystery of the Haunted Boathouse by Annie Roe Carr
  3. ‘Ah,’ said he, ‘don’t fancy that I will lead my son to grow up a scatterbrained good-for-nought like his father.
    — from What Will He Do with It? — Complete by Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
  4. "You're a scatterbrained visionary!" snaps J. Q.
    — from Shorty McCabe on the Job by Sewell Ford

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