Literary notes about Disreputable (AI summary)
In literature, the term disreputable is often employed to convey a sense of moral or social unacceptability, whether describing characters, places, or behaviors. It paints individuals or institutions as tainted or lacking in honor—as seen when a person is labeled "a most disreputable character" ([1]) or when settings are depicted as morally questionable, like disreputable houses or neighborhoods ([2], [3]). Authors use the word to underscore a departure from the respectable norm, sometimes with ironic or satirical overtones, as in political contexts where reputable figures withdraw from an inherently disreputable system ([4]). Overall, disreputable serves as a versatile literary device that signals deviation from accepted social standards, inviting readers to evaluate the underlying values and behaviors of persons and institutions.
- I say enough when I tell you that his daughter was a most disreputable character.
— from The Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Volume 01 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - " M. Dupin answered, "I never go to disreputable houses.
— from The History of a Crime by Victor Hugo - His had always been a most respectable house—in a disreputable neighbourhood.
— from The Invisible Man: A Grotesque Romance by H. G. Wells - So flagrant became the political scandals that reputable men began to leave politics alone, and politics consequently became disreputable.
— from The Souls of Black Folk by W. E. B. Du Bois
