Literary notes about upsetting (AI summary)
In literature, "upsetting" is a versatile term that serves both literal and figurative functions. It often describes a physical disturbance—a chair tipped over, plates spilled, or entire households thrown into disarray [1, 2, 3]—while simultaneously evoking emotional turmoil or the upheaval of established order [4, 5, 6]. Authors use it to convey sudden, forceful disruptions that unsettle not only the physical space, as seen when objects are knocked askew [7, 8], but also the internal composure of characters, reflecting broader social or psychological disturbance [9, 10, 11].
- that’s the man who is upsetting the whole house at this moment!”
— from The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins - Stage-coaches were upsetting in all directions, horses were bolting, boats were overturning, and boilers were bursting.
— from The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens - She jumped up in such a hurry that she tipped over the jury-box, upsetting all the jurymen on to the heads of the crowd below.
— from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll - And as for being frightened--you are upsetting yourself about nothing, for nothing will come of it.
— from Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - And as for being frightened—you are upsetting yourself about nothing, for nothing will come of it."
— from White Nights and Other Stories by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - Yes, here is the injury it received through the upsetting of a Gower Street omnibus in younger and happier days.
— from The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People by Oscar Wilde - Wilhelm suddenly interrupted his explanation, for Andreas had suddenly started up, upsetting his stool, and exclaimed: "It's coming!
— from The Historical Romances of Georg Ebers by Georg Ebers - The gentleman with the brick sprang to his feet, upsetting the table before him with everything upon it.
— from Three Men on the Bummel by Jerome K. (Jerome Klapka) Jerome - "Oh I seem so bad—upsetting men's courses like this!" said she, taking up in her voice the emotion that had begun in his.
— from Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy - The upsetting of the European balance would eventually have led to a conflict between Germany and the United States.
— from From Isolation to Leadership, RevisedA Review of American Foreign Policy by John Holladay Latané - It was worth upsetting God’s weather for him!
— from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
