Literary notes about STEWARD (AI summary)
In literature, "steward" is employed as a multifaceted term that connotes responsibility, trust, and the intricate interplay of authority and servitude. It often designates a character responsible for managing property or household affairs, as exemplified by a narrator assuming control over an estate [1] or a figure entrusted with overseeing domestic duties [2, 3]. At times the role is tinged with irony or moral ambiguity, as when it is used to highlight the frailties or failings of a trusted servant [4, 5]. The term also spans diverse settings—from the management of a ship's hold to the directional guidance of public revenue—thus underscoring its versatility in reflecting social hierarchies and personal accountability throughout literary history [6, 7].
- I deemed myself the steward of his property, and determined, God willing, to render a good account.
— from Villette by Charlotte Brontë - I was their house-steward whilst ye were in that place.
— from The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Táin Bó Cúalnge - The first of them that eldest was, and best, Of all the house had charge and governement, As Guardian and Steward of the rest:
— from Spenser's The Faerie Queene, Book I by Edmund Spenser - We must not confound him with the eternal low steward of comedy.
— from The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 2 by Charles Lamb and Mary Lamb - It is the false steward that stole his master’s daughter.
— from Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare - Sergey Ivanovitch simply considers it as Kostya’s duty to be his steward.
— from Anna Karenina by graf Leo Tolstoy - Mr. Sargent makes the tea, unpacks the hampers and serves as general steward, but draws the line at washing the dishes.
— from The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony (Volume 1 of 2) by Ida Husted Harper
