Literary notes about Negligee (AI summary)
The word "negligee" in literature often signals a blend of allure and vulnerability, serving as a marker of intimate exposure or unconventional femininity. In J. M. Barrie's work [1], it is used to heighten a sense of urgency and potential scandal, as a character is threatened with public embarrassment if not properly dressed, thus imbuing the garment with a kind of forbidden appeal. Temple Bailey, on the other hand, employs the negligee in two distinctive instances to underscore different aspects of feminine allure: in one passage [2], a delicate pink silk negligee peeks suggestively from beneath a tan motor coat, hinting at a secret softness beneath a more pragmatic exterior, while in another [3], a sheer, pale blue negligee worn amidst masculine surroundings accentuates the striking incongruity between traditional gender roles and personal identity. Together, these examples illustrate the negligee as a multifaceted symbol in literature, representing both the softness of intimacy and the disruptive nature of revealing one's hidden self.
- ,” he rapped out, “if you don't get up and dress at once I will open the curtains, and then we shall all see you in your negligee
— from Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie - She wore a motor coat of tan cloth which covered her up, but I had a glimpse of a pink silk negligee underneath.
— from The Gay Cockade by Temple Bailey - She opened at the right page, and stood reading—an incongruous figure amid Ridgeley's masculine belongings in her sheer negligee of faint blue.
— from The Gay Cockade by Temple Bailey