Literary notes about Surveillant (AI summary)
In literature, "surveillant" is often deployed as a title imbued with both authority and enigmatic presence. It characterizes figures who are tasked with the role of oversight—whether in mundane settings like dining halls [1] or in more complex narrative structures where their intervention guides the course of events [2]. The term not only designates an official position, as seen when it is associated with administrative functions and rigid protocols [3], but it also carries symbolic weight, evoking notions of observation and control that resonate with broader cultural and political themes [4]. At times, the surveillant appears as a figure whose subtle actions influence the dynamic of power and order, blending the ordinary with an undercurrent of intentional supervision.
- Then, as the surveillant of the dining hall gave the signal, the pupils rose and left.
— from Rilla of the Lighthouse by Grace May North - Monsieur le Surveillant turned to me, "and now you may choose where you wish to be sent."
— from The Enormous Room by E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings - The Directeur and the Surveillant were in consultation when I entered the latter's office.
— from The Enormous Room by E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings - It is Turki, Toskáúl , [Arabic], defined as "Gardien, surveillant de la route; Wächter, Wache, Wegehüter."
— from The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1 by Marco Polo and da Pisa Rusticiano
