Literary notes about upset (AI summary)
In literature, the word "upset" is employed with remarkable versatility, encapsulating both physical overturning and emotional disturbance as well as broader disruptions of order. It may describe a tangible reversal—such as overturning a dish on a platter [1], a teapot [2], or even a carriage [3]—while at other times it denotes a disturbance in a character’s emotional state, signaling everything from mild discontent [4] to profound distress [5]. Additionally, "upset" is used metaphorically to indicate a disruption of an established balance or system, whether in personal relationships [6] or in societal constructs [7]. This dual application of the term enriches narrative tension and deepens character portrayals by bridging the gap between the physical and the psychological.
- [unmould] UPSET THE DISH ON A PLATTER, REMOVE THE MALLOW LEAVES, POUR OVER THE WINE SAUCE, SPRINKLE WITH PEPPER AND SERVE [9].
— from Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome by Apicius - In the hall she upset the teapot and a candle which was standing on the floor.
— from A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Iurevich Lermontov - 'The driver came hither with the remains of his carriage, which had been upset when the horses ran away.'
— from Dracula's Guest by Bram Stoker - He repeated, “Margaret, you look upset again.
— from Howards End by E. M. Forster - She absolutely refused to explain herself, and went away, obviously upset.
— from The possessed : by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - It would upset our mutual relations altogether; our beautiful happy home would no longer be what it is now.
— from A Doll's House : a play by Henrik Ibsen - The conditions of competition or rivalry upset an equilibrium of habit and custom, and a process of problem-solving ensues.
— from Introduction to the Science of Sociology by E. W. Burgess and Robert Ezra Park
