Literary notes about Nonconformist (AI summary)
Literary works deploy the term “nonconformist” to evoke characters or attitudes that defy established norms, whether in religious, social, or political contexts. It is used both descriptively and metaphorically; for instance, it may denote a religious dissenter who rebels against mainstream ecclesiastical practices, as seen in portrayals of independent clergymen [1, 2] or in the celebrated call for individual integrity expressed by Emerson—“Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist” [3, 4]. Moreover, the word serves to highlight tensions between tradition and reform, encapsulating a broader critique of societal conformity and the valorization of dissent. Through such depictions, literature not only documents the historical presence of dissenters in religious and public life but also uses them to explore the dynamics of personal conviction versus institutional pressure [5, 6].
- He disappeared into his bedroom, and returned in a few minutes in the character of an amiable and simple-minded Nonconformist clergyman.
— from Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle - He disappeared into his bedroom and returned in a few minutes in the character of an amiable and simple-minded Nonconformist clergyman.
— from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle - Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.
— from Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson by Ralph Waldo Emerson - He read Emerson and adopted his philosophy literally and completely: "Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist."
— from A History of American Literature Since 1870 by Fred Lewis Pattee - [87a] One example in particular we may cite: John Neilson, the Laird of Corsack, a worthy man, was, unfortunately for himself, a Nonconformist.
— from Lay Morals, and Other Papers by Robert Louis Stevenson - He half enjoyed, even while he was irritated by it, the odd figure presented by this Nonconformist.
— from Memoirs of a Surrey Labourer: A Record of the Last Years of Frederick Bettesworth by George Sturt
