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Literary notes about s (AI summary)

The marker “'s” serves a dual role in literature—indicating possession and forming contractions—that enriches both narrative detail and character voice. In descriptive passages, for example, “a fair day’s wage” ([1]) uses the possessive to tether abstract ideas like justice and labor to tangible realities. In dialogue, contractions like “that’s” and “here’s” ([2], [3]) give characters an immediate, natural quality while also economizing language. Additionally, the occasional use of the archaic long s (as in “ſure” in [4]) harks back to earlier printing practices, lending historical authenticity to texts. This blend of grammatical function and stylistic nuance demonstrates how the simple “'s” can simultaneously ground a story in its context and shape the rhythms of speech.
  1. “It comes to this,” he continued, “Natur has her laws, and this is one; a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work.”
    — from Sybil, Or, The Two Nations by Earl of Beaconsfield Benjamin Disraeli
  2. “Well!” said Wemmick, “that's over!
    — from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
  3. s now, and we have realized none of our morning dreams of happiness.
    — from Twice-told tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne
  4. That’s ſure, Sir.
    — from The Devil is an Ass by Ben Jonson

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