Literary notes about unconsciously (AI summary)
In literature, "unconsciously" frequently marks actions, feelings, or assumptions that occur without deliberate thought, adding a nuanced layer to character behavior and narrative tone. Authors deploy the term to reveal both physical responses, as seen when characters instinctively gesture or move ([1], [2]), and deeper psychological or social impulses that guide their thoughts and perceptions ([3], [4]). It conveys a sense of underlying or habitual influence, suggesting that many aspects of human behavior—from spirited emotional reactions to philosophical musings—can occur apart from conscious control ([5], [6]). This subtle infusion of involuntary action and thought enriches the literary landscape by highlighting the complex, often hidden, interplay between instinct and intention.
- It was natural that Barbara should raise her eyes unconsciously, and find him out.
— from The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens - [He perfunctorily thrusts them into his pockets, unconsciously decorating himself with the protruding ends of the chains].
— from Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw - As circumstances changed, men unconsciously and slowly modified their course of selection.
— from Paradise Lost by John Milton - But his argument unconsciously assumed that scientific knowledge could be communicated in a ready-made form.
— from Democracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education by John Dewey - If a man does a thing unconsciously, it costs him no trouble; but if he tries to do it by taking trouble, he fails.
— from The Essays of Arthur Schopenhauer; Studies in Pessimism by Arthur Schopenhauer - it was gratifying to have inspired unconsciously so strong an affection.
— from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
