Literary notes about Banality (AI summary)
In literature, “banality” is a term used to denote the ordinary, often unremarkable nature of human behavior and expression, serving both as a critique and as a means of highlighting the mundane in contrast to momentous themes. Writers deploy the word to underscore how even in the midst of intense conflict or dramatic circumstances, something trivial or commonplace—whether in dialogue, character traits, or societal rituals—can arise unexpectedly, as noted when a character’s remark, stripped of creativity, intensifies its poignancy ([1]). In other works, authors confess their own struggle against falling into predictable patterns, suggesting that an adherence to rote expression might be mitigated by careful attention to form and rhythm ([2]). Moreover, “banality” can evoke a sense of resigned inevitability in life, as when everyday occurrences are depicted with a blend of ironic detachment and critique of modern mediocrity ([3], [4], [5]).
- "Hard luck on a young girl, eh, Mrs. Tyson?" and the very banality of the sentence made it poignant.
— from The Four Corners of the World by A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason - It was for this reason that he gave it a distinctive meter, having convinced himself that meter of some kind was essential if he would avoid banality.
— from The Life and Works of Friedrich Schiller by Calvin Thomas - What troubled me most in dealing with him was not his monstrosity but his banality.
— from Notes on My Books by Joseph Conrad - Banality was at once the curse and the saving grace of mankind.
— from The Lani People by Jesse F. Bone - Yet, somehow, he did it in such a way as to avoid banality, possibly because so naturally.
— from Forging the Blades: A Tale of the Zulu Rebellion by Bertram Mitford
