Literary notes about Disorderly (AI summary)
The term "disorderly" appears in literature as a versatile descriptor, employed to evoke both physical and abstract chaos. In narratives of war and nature, it vividly portrays visible disarray—as in disorganized arrays of clothing or the tumult of soldiers in battle [1], [2]—while in more intimate or moral contexts it characterizes unruly behavior and ethical lapses, ranging from an unkempt household or random personal conduct [3], [4] to broader societal disturbances and legal infractions [5], [6]. Moreover, its usage extends to metaphorical realms, suggesting disrupted thought patterns or the untamed, unsettled spirit of an individual or political order [7], [8]. Overall, the word serves as a powerful tool to depict a departure from order in both the tangible and intangible aspects of life.
- He saw his clothes in disorderly array upon the grass of the bank.
— from The Red Badge of Courage: An Episode of the American Civil War by Stephen Crane - Would this disorderly crowd of soldiers attend to the voice of their commander, or would they, disregarding him, continue their flight?
— from War and Peace by graf Leo Tolstoy - He was making some disorderly preparations for coffee, when Bradley came from the window and put on his outer coat and hat.
— from Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens - “She said it was unfortunate for a man like me to be married to a woman like you, unpunctual, careless, disorderly, a bad mother, and a bad wife.”
— from Complete Original Short Stories of Guy De Maupassant by Guy de Maupassant - [legal terms] disorderly person; disorderly persons offence; misdemeanor.
— from Roget's Thesaurus by Peter Mark Roget - Then he remembered how he had spent a night in the lockup for disorderly conduct in the street.
— from Anna Karenina by graf Leo Tolstoy - I.74 Unproportion'd thought ] Irregular, disorderly thought.
— from Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare - How disorderly and how rich is the whole constitution of this soul!
— from Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
