Literary notes about Retainer (AI summary)
In literature, the term “retainer” is employed to evoke the multifaceted roles of a devoted subordinate, ranging from a trusted household servant to a steadfast military aide. Writers often place retainers within hierarchical structures to highlight bonds of loyalty and duty; for instance, they serve as trusted agents or courtiers who connect their masters with the external world, as seen when a retainer acts as a courteous messenger or protective figure [1][2]. At times, the role carries additional layers of personal identity and sacrifice, as authors detail the intimate relationships between retainers and the families or noble figures they serve [3][4]. Other narratives focus on the contractual or remunerative aspects of the retainer’s position, underscoring a balance between personal loyalty and formal obligation [5][6].
- "But if you will allow me——" "Oh, no thank you," interrupted the retainer, with a slight blush.
— from Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 109, October 26, 1895 by Various - A retainer, at this moment, came out from the hall, and informed Oswald that Sir Edmund would speak with him.
— from Both Sides the Border: A Tale of Hotspur and Glendower by G. A. (George Alfred) Henty - No less conscious of the resemblance between infant lord and infant retainer, were the mother and the boy himself.
— from Bushido, the Soul of Japan by Inazo Nitobe - A candle of coarse tallow on a black table lighted up the handsome and resigned face of the king and that of his faithful retainer, far less calm.
— from Twenty years after by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - This was no doubt a retainer's fee, or in other words, an advance payment from Booth.
— from Assassination of Lincoln: a History of the Great Conspiracy Trial of the Conspirators by a Military Commission, and a Review of the Trial of John H. Surratt by T. M. (Thomas Mealey) Harris - Why, say five thousand dollars; a thousand as a retainer and the rest on completion."
— from Murder in the Gunroom by H. Beam Piper
