Literary notes about partial (AI summary)
In literature, the term "partial" is deployed with considerable nuance, often conveying notions of bias, incompleteness, or a one-sided perspective. In the realm of character portrayal, for instance, it describes a natural inclination or favoritism, as seen when a character’s predilections are highlighted by their preference for certain delights [1][2][3]. Conversely, its use in analytical and scientific passages emphasizes fragmentary explanations or incomplete representations of complex phenomena [4][5][6]. Moreover, some authors employ "partial" to critique the limitations of human judgment and experience, suggesting that our understanding is frequently restricted or skewed by personal interests and prejudices [7][8][9]. This duality in usage underscores the term’s capacity to address both personal bias and methodological imperfection across various literary contexts.
- ‘You see,’ said Mr. Peggotty, ‘knowing as you was partial to a little relish with your wittles when you was along with us, we took the liberty.
— from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens - Mr. Dick was very partial to gingerbread.
— from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens - " "I am sure I have no reason to be partial," said Mrs. Plymdale, coloring.
— from Middlemarch by George Eliot - [Pg 513] I offer the explanation only as a partial one: it certainly is not complete.
— from The Principles of Psychology, Volume 1 (of 2) by William James - Indication of the geometrical problem, of which the partial differential equation expresses analytically the enunciation.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - Partial derivatives and differentials of functions of several variables.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - What guides men and nations in their practice is always some partial interest or some partial disillusion.
— from The Life of Reason: The Phases of Human Progress by George Santayana - The world is full of partial stories that run parallel to one another, beginning and ending at odd times.
— from Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking by William James - For God is Truth, but mankind can only be true by appearing sometimes to be partial, or false.
— from The Republic of Plato by Plato
