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Literary notes about spite (AI summary)

The word "spite" appears in literature as a versatile tool to underscore resistance or contradiction. Often introduced in the phrase “in spite of,” it signals that a character persists or feels a certain way despite powerful opposing circumstances—for instance, when a character begins to act contrary to their nature or external conditions, as seen in [1], [2], and [3]. Sometimes, it conveys a sense of internal conflict or reluctant engagement, as when one acts in an unforeseen manner despite personal reservations, reminiscent of the reflective tone in [4] and [5]. In other passages, "spite" takes on a more active or even malicious dimension, functioning almost as a weapon of emotion, such as in the defiant outbursts of [6] and [7]. Across these texts, "spite" enriches the narrative by highlighting the tension between innate inclination and external pressures, allowing authors to explore the complex interplay of human determination and contradictory forces.
  1. “But what should I lecture about?” asked Laura, beginning in spite of herself to be a little interested as well as amused.
    — from The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner
  2. Marilla had to laugh in spite of herself.
    — from Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
  3. As soon as it struck nine o'clock I could not stay indoors, but put on my things, and went out in spite of the weather.
    — from White Nights and Other Stories by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  4. A life of that kind leads one to reflect in spite of oneself.
    — from Fathers and Sons by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev
  5. In spite of myself, an agreeable warmth spread over me.
    — from The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
  6. And even thee will I whip with my spite!
    — from Thus Spake Zarathustra: A Book for All and None by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
  7. LYSANDER Or else misgraffèd in respect of years;— HERMIA O spite!
    — from A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

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