Literary notes about Entourage (AI summary)
In literature, "entourage" is often employed to describe a group that accompanies and defines a central figure, whether by enhancing their status or symbolizing the influences surrounding them. Its usage ranges from the literal, as when an ambassador-elect’s companions underscore his importance [1], to the more symbolic, where a lavish or even ominous host—such as the deep crimson backdrop in Villette—evokes themes of transformation and foreboding [2]. At times, it subtly reflects the tension between formality and disorder, as seen when a court's decorum is contrasted with the unruly behavior of those in a sovereign’s personal circle [3]. This versatility makes the term a rich vehicle for illustrating both social dynamics and character relationships in narrative contexts.
- She learned that Ambassador-elect Tait and his entourage had gone to Evian-les-Bains.
— from What Will People Say? A Novel by Rupert Hughes - A background and entourage and flooring of deepest crimson threw her out, white like alabaster—like silver: rather, be it said, like Death.
— from Villette by Charlotte Brontë - —Our habitual mood depends upon the mood in which we maintain our habitual entourage.
— from The Dawn of Day by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
