Literary notes about staggering (AI summary)
The term "staggering" is deployed in literature to evoke a dual sense of physical imbalance and the overwhelming nature of circumstances. It is often used to depict a character’s literal loss of balance—whether from intoxication, exhaustion, or shock—as seen when a character is described as staggering under a burden or in the wake of dramatic events ([1], [2], [3]). At the same time, writers frequently employ the word metaphorically to illustrate the impact of shocking or emotionally charged experiences, as in the description of a character suffering a staggering blow or navigating through life’s trials ([4], [5]). This versatility allows “staggering” to heighten both the immediate sensory experience and the deeper thematic undertones of the narrative ([6]).
- It was this bag that Tim had been seen staggering under, and which caused the unlucky boy to be accused and convicted by his teacher as a thief.
— from Complete Prose Works by Walt Whitman - “I'm damned!” said he, staggering to his feet and clutching the brandy bottle.
— from The island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells - He walked the first few steps boldly, but suddenly began staggering.
— from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - The defeat of Schuyler was a staggering blow to Hamilton.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - It is a weary longing and complaining, a dream-like staggering through the four ages of life to death, accompanied by a series of trivial thoughts.
— from The World as Will and Idea (Vol. 1 of 3) by Arthur Schopenhauer - And so, bewildered, and now staggering in her flight, she followed Tink to her doom.
— from Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
