Literary notes about Teasing (AI summary)
Literature employs the word “teasing” in a variety of nuanced ways that reflect the complexities of human interaction. Sometimes it connotes light, playful banter imbued with affection or humor, as characters gently rib one another about personal traits or ideals [1], [2], [3]. In other instances, teasing carries a sharper edge, representing social control, mockery, or even cruelty that can reveal underlying tensions between individuals [4], [5], [6]. Authors thus utilize the term to not only highlight a momentary levity or flirtatious exchange—as when a teasing smile or tone hints at deeper sentiments—but also to underscore the capacity of such behavior to wound or embarrass, marking a significant turning point in relationships [7], [8]. In all its forms, teasing emerges as a literary device that enriches character dynamics and mirrors the multifaceted nature of human discourse.
- He even took pleasure in criticizing the defects in my face, and teasing me about them.
— from Katia by Tolstoy, Leo, graf - She seemed to delight in teasing me, which was a change in her I wondered at very much.
— from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens - He was a tall boy, with curly brown hair, roguish hazel eyes, and a mouth twisted into a teasing smile.
— from Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery - I have mentioned already that the outrageous teasing of the treacherous fair lady abashed me, flabbergasted me, and wounded me to the quick.
— from White Nights and Other Stories by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - She grew cross and wearisome; snapping at and teasing Catherine continually, at the imminent risk of exhausting her limited patience.
— from Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë - How can you be so teasing; only conceive, my dear Catherine, what your brother wants me to do.
— from Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - I couldn’t explain to Edgar how certain I felt of having a fit, or going raging mad, if he persisted in teasing me!
— from Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë - "You are teasing me—that's all—because you think I am not happy!"
— from Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
