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Literary notes about talking (AI summary)

The word "talking" in literature functions as a versatile marker of human interaction, capturing everything from lively group banter to intimate soliloquy. In some works, it connotes energetic or even revolutionary dialogue—as when Dumas hints at a “dreadfully revolutionary strain” of speech [1]—while in others it underscores ordinary, everyday conversation, such as groups converging at a door to discuss their affairs [2]. Authors also use it to reflect a character’s internal state or social commentary, evident in Chekhov’s wry dismissal of idle chatter [3] or Tolstoy’s probing reflections on why people laugh as they converse [4]. Whether employed to enhance atmosphere, develop character, or drive plot, "talking" is a simple yet effective literary tool that enriches narrative texture and highlights the multifaceted nature of human communication.
  1. “Do you know, Villefort, that you are talking in a most dreadfully revolutionary strain?
    — from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet
  2. [They go to the door all talking together.
    — from A Doll's House : a play by Henrik Ibsen
  3. Oh, but what’s the use of talking!
    — from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
  4. why are they talking, why are they laughing?
    — from Anna Karenina by graf Leo Tolstoy

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