Literary notes about however (AI summary)
The word however functions as a transitional pivot in literature, signaling contrast or nuance in the flow of thought. It often appears mid-sentence, set off by commas to indicate a shift in tone or perspective, as seen when a character’s circumstances are subtly redefined [1] or when a narrative qualification is introduced [2]. At times, it even leads a sentence to foreground an unexpected concession or counterpoint, lending clarity to complex arguments or dramatic turns in the plot [3, 4]. Additionally, its flexible placement enables writers to balance descriptive detail and argumentative precision, whether by linking clauses that juxtapose contrasting ideas or by emphasizing exceptions within a broader discussion [5, 6].
- Miss Brooke, however, was not again seen by either of these gentlemen under her maiden name.
— from Middlemarch by George Eliot - This was an affair, however, of which Lady Middleton did not approve.
— from Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - However, advances still were made, and even became more pressing.
— from The Confessions of Jean Jacques Rousseau — Complete by Jean-Jacques Rousseau - “However, thou art so much wiser than I—do as best seems to thee.”
— from Baron Trump's Marvellous Underground Journey by Ingersoll Lockwood - However that may be, tin and amber certainly come to us from the extremity of Europe.
— from The History of Herodotus — Volume 1 by Herodotus - These phenomena, however, seemed to cause him not the least surprise.
— from The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
