Literary notes about singularity (AI summary)
In literature, "singularity" functions as a marker of that which is remarkably atypical or distinctive, highlighting characteristics, events, or styles that stand apart from the commonplace. It can denote an inherent uniqueness—whether referring to a personal quirk or an unusual aesthetic trait, as when a character’s unusual gait or dress immediately commands attention [1, 2]—or it may serve as a signal for deeper thematic clues, as when a mysterious or extraordinary detail becomes the pivot for unraveling a story’s mystery [3, 4]. At times, authors use the term to comment on social deviation or unconventional behavior that sets an individual apart within a larger cultural or historical narrative [5, 6]. In other instances, "singularity" captures the essence of originality in the structure or style of a work, inviting readers to reflect on what makes a particular idea or event exceptional [7, 8, 9]. This layered usage across various contexts underscores the term’s versatility as both a descriptive and analytical tool in literary expression.
- There was a singularity in their dress, and a certain fierceness in their air, that fixed all her attention.
— from The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Ward Radcliffe - She had only taken three paces, but it sufficed to enable me to remark the singularity of her gait.
— from Monsieur, Madame, and Bébé — Complete by Gustave Droz - Singularity is almost invariably a clue.
— from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle - If they had, it would be no matter of surprise, and the singularity of the thing would cease.
— from The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens - My refusing to eat flesh occasioned an inconveniency, and I was frequently chid for my singularity.
— from Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin - The singularity lay in the hostile feelings with which the child regarded all these offspring of her own heart and mind.
— from The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne - The Tibetan view, from its novelty, extent, and singularity, *
— from Roget's Thesaurus by Peter Mark Roget - Now, that is not the only singularity of Gottfried's structure, although it is the only one that would appeal to the untrained mind.
— from The Country of the Blind, and Other Stories by H. G. Wells - Idea is founded on its very singularity, and is not made appropriate to the Idea itself.
— from Kant's Critique of Judgement by Immanuel Kant
