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Literary notes about Deference (AI summary)

In literature, "deference" is often employed to convey a mix of respect, submission, and even subtle irony. Its usage ranges from embodying genuine admiration, as seen in affectionate respect for kin or authority [1] and courteous behavior towards figures of high status [2], to critiquing overly ingratiating or self-effacing attitudes [3, 4]. Authors also utilize the term to underscore social hierarchies and formal etiquette—illustrated when characters are expected to yield to established norms or honor personal choice [5, 6]—while occasionally hinting at the complexities of power dynamics in interpersonal relationships [7, 8]. This nuanced portrayal shows that deference in literature is not merely a simple act of politeness, but often a layered expression of societal expectations, personal regard, or even strategic self-presentation [9, 10].
  1. "What do you say, my dear?" said her mother, with affectionate deference.
    — from Middlemarch by George Eliot
  2. Mr. Tulkinghorn does so with deference and holds it open while she passes out.
    — from Bleak House by Charles Dickens
  3. Beneath his deference and humbleness was hid the most inquisitorial maliciousness.
    — from Best Russian Short Stories
  4. He paid that peculiar deference to women which every member of the sex appreciates.
    — from Sister Carrie: A Novel by Theodore Dreiser
  5. It is, after all, his own name to sign as he chooses, and in addressing him deference to his choice should be shown.
    — from Etiquette by Emily Post
  6. He is listened to with deference, he is addressed with respect, and the love which is felt for him is always tempered with fear.
    — from Democracy in America — Volume 2 by Alexis de Tocqueville
  7. She bowed to Swann with deference, but drew herself up again with great dignity.
    — from Swann's Way by Marcel Proust
  8. It was like deference to her, and made her feel as if she represented before him all the grace and flower of humanity.
    — from The Rainbow by D. H. Lawrence
  9. [Pg 29] 'You must have been very slow about it, Jacob,' Scrooge observed in a business-like manner, though with humility and deference.
    — from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
  10. “Oh, if you say so, Mr. Jones, it is all right,” said the stranger with deference.
    — from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

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