Literary notes about Jeering (AI summary)
The term "jeering" is often deployed in literature to convey a potent mixture of scorn, mockery, and derision, embodying both the tone and the physical manifestation of contempt. Authors utilize it to underscore a character's disdain, whether through a cutting laugh or a sardonic smile, as seen in Dickens’ portrayal of Monks’s dismissive reaction [1] and in Dumas’s depiction of D’Artagnan’s familiar, taunting manner [2]. In some narratives, "jeering" takes on a broader social function, reflecting collective derision—illustrated by the hostile barrage of a taunting mob in Wilde’s text [3]—or serving as a tool for satirical commentary on societal norms. This multifaceted use, further echoed in the biting irony of voices in Homer’s epic [4] and the self-deprecating humor in Chekhov’s work [5], enriches the literary texture by heightening conflict and illuminating the dynamics between ridicule and authority.