Literary notes about polite (AI summary)
The word "polite" is deployed in literature to capture a wide spectrum of social behavior, from genuine courtesy and refined manners to subtle irony and critique. It often demarcates the difference between sincere civility and mere formalities, as when a character’s courteous bow or respectful address highlights their social grace [1, 2]. In some instances, it underlines an expected decorum even in challenging circumstances, while in others it may signal an insincere or superficial pretense, such as when being “polite” becomes a strategic falsehood or a constrained habit [3, 4]. At times, references to polite behavior even extend into broader cultural commentary, illustrating how refined manners can serve as a marker of class or education [5, 6, 7]. Overall, the varied usage of "polite" reveals its pivotal role in characterizing interactions and societal norms throughout literary works [8, 9].
- “Of course you may,” Krassotkin assented heartily, and, taking the cannon from Ilusha, he handed it himself to mamma with a polite bow.
— from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - Katerina Ivanovna took it and gave him a polite, even ceremonious, bow.
— from Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - As I had already engaged myself with the major, this was only a polite falsehood.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova - “I am in the habit of being polite to every one.
— from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo - This second cousin was a Middlemarch mercer of polite manners and superfluous aspirates.
— from Middlemarch by George Eliot - One of the first rules for a guide in polite conversation, is to avoid political or religious discussions in general society.
— from The Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette and Manual of Politeness by Cecil B. Hartley - Note how a rising inflection may be made to express faint praise, or polite doubt, or uncertainty of opinion.
— from The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie and J. Berg Esenwein - It is a wise thing to be polite; consequently, it is a stupid thing to be rude.
— from The Essays of Arthur Schopenhauer; Counsels and Maxims by Arthur Schopenhauer - I wrote him a letter and received from his excellency the most polite and obliging answer.
— from The Confessions of Jean Jacques Rousseau — Complete by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
