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Literary notes about quixotic (AI summary)

In literature, “quixotic” functions as a vivid descriptor for pursuits or attitudes that are grandly idealistic yet practically flawed. Authors employ the term to underline the tension between high-minded ambition and the inescapable impracticality of reality. For instance, one work portrays a notion so unworldly it implies an almost fanciful departure from pragmatic life [1], while another refers to extravagant undertakings that border on the absurd [2]. The adjective is also used to characterize individuals whose lofty schemes and romantic ideals—whether in matters of personal aspiration or bold adventures—often appear as much a source of admiration as they are of skepticism [3], [4]. Moreover, it can convey both the noble spirit of daring heroism and the inevitable pitfalls of overreaching ambition, a duality that continues to resonate with readers and writers alike.
  1. He has a Quixotic notion that you would turn back from what is before you for his sake.
    — from The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner
  2. 208 13 quijotadas : 'extravagances,' 'quixotic undertakings.'
    — from Doña Perfecta by Benito Pérez Galdós
  3. She is rather quixotic, you know; full of grand schemes for the future, and what she will do when she comes of age.
    — from Name and Fame: A Novel by Adeline Sergeant
  4. It may have been quixotic, but it was magnificent.
    — from Peter and Wendy by J. M. Barrie

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