Literary notes about limited (AI summary)
The word “limited” in literature is employed to evoke notions of constraint, restriction, and finiteness across various contexts and genres. Authors use it to describe not only tangible limitations—such as restricted resources or capacities, as seen in descriptions of scant materials or finite vocabularies ([1], [2])—but also abstract boundaries, like the confined scope of human thought or societal structures ([3], [4]). Philosophers and economists, from Spinoza to Keynes, invoke “limited” to underscore inherent constraints within systems and ideas ([5], [6]), while novelists like Kipling and Dostoyevsky apply it to portray the personal restrictions of character and perspective ([7], [8]). This recurring theme in literature highlights the pervasive human experience of encountering limits, whether in language, understanding, or material conditions.
- Besides, his vocabulary was altogether too limited to express his impressions.
— from The Invisible Man: A Grotesque Romance by H. G. Wells - To begin with, the resources of Tommy’s pockets were somewhat limited.
— from The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie - Man's Consciousness limited to the hemispheres, 65 .
— from The Principles of Psychology, Volume 1 (of 2) by William James - Men's thoughts were tied down to a contracted space and a short time,—limited to their own established customs as a measure of all possible values.
— from Democracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education by John Dewey - So, also, a thought is limited by another thought, but a body is not limited by thought, nor a thought by body.
— from Ethics by Benedictus de Spinoza - British claims on the present basis would be practically limited to losses by sea—losses of hulls and losses of cargoes.
— from The Economic Consequences of the Peace by John Maynard Keynes - His Hindustani was very limited, and the ruffled and disgusted Kim intended to keep to the character laid down for him.
— from Kim by Rudyard Kipling - His conception of culture was limited to good clothes, clean shirt-fronts and polished boots.
— from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
