Literary notes about Hostile (AI summary)
The word "hostile" is used across literary genres to evoke both physical and metaphorical conflict. In many ancient epics and historical narratives, it describes forces arrayed in battle—as seen where warriors confront overwhelming odds [1] or where entire armies engage in protracted warfare [2]—while in other works it marks the presence of an unfriendly or adversarial environment, such as a nation seen as antagonistic [3] or a tone imbued with resentment and defiance [4]. At times, the term extends beyond the battlefield to capture personal antagonism or the feeling of alienation in a divided world [5], even suggesting that certain conditions are intrinsically at odds with broader societal welfare [6]. This versatility underscores "hostile" as a dynamic descriptor that conveys the multifaceted nature of opposition and strife in literature.
- It happened often that foremost men who crush the ranks of the hostile host, are vanquished by them, and are rescued by their own troops.
— from The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1 - 2. Hostile armies may face each other for years, striving for the victory which is decided in a single day.
— from The Art of War by active 6th century B.C. Sunzi - He could not conceive the idea of a hostile England.
— from The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams - The conversation was resumed, and no longer in the unpleasantly hostile tone of Nicholas’ last remark.
— from War and Peace by graf Leo Tolstoy - Miss Lavish, who represented intellect, was avowedly hostile, and now the Miss Alans, who stood for good breeding, were following her.
— from A Room with a View by E. M. Forster - In its very nature it is hostile to general welfare.
— from The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie and J. Berg Esenwein
