Literary notes about unrest (AI summary)
In literature, the word "unrest" is a richly polysemous term, deployed to evoke both external turbulence and internal disquiet. In sociological writings, it denotes the fracturing of established routines and the onset of transformative collective actions [1][2][3], while in historical narratives it captures periods of national upheaval and the ferment of ideological conflicts [4][5][6]. In the realm of fiction and poetry, "unrest" frequently symbolizes an inner turmoil—a restless, sometimes anxious state of being that underscores emotional intensity and personal transformation [7][8][9]. This multiplicity of meanings allows the term to serve as a dynamic metaphor for both the societal and individual struggles portrayed across diverse literary genres.
- The significance of social unrest is that it represents at once a breaking up of the established routine and a preparation for new collective action.
— from Introduction to the Science of Sociology by E. W. Burgess and Robert Ezra Park - Social unrest is first communicated, then takes form in crowd and mass movements, and finally crystallizes in institutions.
— from Introduction to the Science of Sociology by E. W. Burgess and Robert Ezra Park - There is confusion and unrest which may issue in open conflict.
— from Introduction to the Science of Sociology by E. W. Burgess and Robert Ezra Park - The year 1849 saw the whole country in a state of great unrest and excitement.
— from The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony (Volume 1 of 2) by Ida Husted Harper - The ideal of a national church died hard, and to its death is due all the religious unrest of the period.
— from English Literature by William J. Long - A spirit of compromise finally prevailed and deferred the crisis for a decade, but the agitation and unrest continued to increase.
— from The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony (Volume 1 of 2) by Ida Husted Harper - Carrie listened, but with a feeling of unrest.
— from Sister Carrie: A Novel by Theodore Dreiser - A conscious unrest seethed in his blood.
— from A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce - “I walked along, filled with sadness and also with unrest, that unrest that one feels when in love.
— from Complete Original Short Stories of Guy De Maupassant by Guy de Maupassant
