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Literary notes about Banter (AI summary)

Literary works use the word "banter" to convey an exchange of witty, light-hearted remarks that can mask deeper emotions or intellectual maneuverings. Plato, for instance, employs banter as a cover for confusion and insolence [1], while lexicons tie it to playful ridicule and retorts [2]. In narratives by Fielding and Stendhal, banter becomes a tactical interplay—either disarming a rival or revealing hidden truths [3, 4]. Later, authors like Joyce and Chopin illustrate how banter functions as both a social lubricant and a subtle marker of character, often lightening tense moments or undercutting pretensions [5, 6]. This versatile use of the term highlights its role not merely as idle chatter, but as a dynamic element that deepens the texture of dialogue and character interaction.
  1. But he is incapable of defending them in a discussion, and vainly tries to cover his confusion with banter and insolence.
    — from The Republic of Plato by Plato
  2. 840. retort; banter &c. (ridicule) 856; ridentem dicere verum[Lat]; joke at one's expense. take in jest.
    — from Roget's Thesaurus by Peter Mark Roget
  3. I will teach you to banter me with a false name."
    — from Joseph Andrews, Vol. 1 by Henry Fielding
  4. Face to face with a rival there is no mean—you must either banter with him in the most off-hand way you can, or frighten him.
    — from On Love by Stendhal
  5. He stood still in deference to their calls and parried their banter with easy words.
    — from A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
  6. “Don't banter me,” she said, wounded at what appeared to be his flippancy.
    — from The Awakening, and Selected Short Stories by Kate Chopin

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