Literary notes about Conservative (AI summary)
Literary authors deploy "conservative" in a variety of ways to capture the essence of tradition, caution, and resistance to change. At times it denotes a steadfast personal or political identity—as when a character is described as "Conservative even in private life" [1] or when voting Conservative becomes as intrinsic as a creed [2]. In other works, the term signals an adherence to conventional social customs and decorum, evident in descriptions of formal dress codes that are "perennially good" for semi‐formal occasions [3, 4, 5, 6]. Moreover, "conservative" may be used to characterize entire cultural or national attitudes, suggesting that older societies are more resistant to novelty or innovation [7, 8, 9]. Authors also explore its ambivalence by contrasting a cautious, time-honored approach with more progressive impulses, thereby framing debates about the merits and failings of clinging to established practices [10, 11, 12, 13]. This richness of meaning ensures that throughout literature the word functions as a prism through which both personal character and broader societal trends are examined and critiqued.
- He himself was a Conservative, even in private life.
— from The innocence of Father Brown by G. K. Chesterton - What way do you vote, Matthew?” “Conservative,” said Matthew promptly.
— from Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery - A satin-faced lapel is not conservative on a cutaway, but it is the correct facing for the more formal (and elderly) frock coat.
— from Etiquette by Emily Post - If some semi-formal occasion comes up, such as a country tea, the time-worn conservative blue coat with white flannel trousers is perennially good.
— from Etiquette by Emily Post - Selection of paper whether rough or smooth is entirely a matter of personal choice—so that the quality be good, and the shape and color conservative.
— from Etiquette by Emily Post - Writing paper for a man should always be strictly conservative.
— from Etiquette by Emily Post - The world has grown older, and is therefore more conservative.
— from The Republic of Plato by Plato - The tourist was the great conservative who hated novelty and adored dirt.
— from The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams - One cannot help admiring the Armenians of Julfa for retaining their conservative customs so long.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - [The] conservative attitude [to be observed] towards Common Sense
— from The Methods of Ethics by Henry Sidgwick - The Press, Liberal, Radical, and Conservative, views this grave symptom of the time with the same alarm.
— from Garden Cities of To-Morrow by Sir Ebenezer Howard - Nor was it devoid of grand and noble ideas—ideas which, carried out in a conservative way, might have bettered society.
— from A History of the Philippines by David P. Barrows - So far from being a mutinous movement, it is really a very Conservative one; it is in the narrowest rut of the British Constitution.
— from What's Wrong with the World by G. K. Chesterton
