Literary notes about amiability (AI summary)
Literary authors employ the term “amiability” to evoke a spectrum of gentle, pleasing qualities that define character and mood. Often, it denotes a warm, effortless charm—a gracious demeanor that disarms and invites trust, as when a character rises “all amiability” or speaks with a glow of genial warmth ([1], [2]). At times, amiability subtly underscores the complexity of a persona, serving both as an expression of sincere kindness and, occasionally, as a veneer masking hidden emotions or dissimulation ([3], [4]). It is also a marker of refined social conduct, lending a softness to dialogue and interactions that make relationships seem both congenial and balanced ([5], [6]). This nuanced term is thus an invaluable tool in literature, bridging the gap between superficial pleasantry and deep, human warmth ([7], [8]).
- The countess, now all amiability, rose to meet her.
— from Sketches in Lavender, Blue and Green by Jerome K. (Jerome Klapka) Jerome - he began, all in a glow with the warmth of his own amiability.
— from The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - Bernardet dissimulated under this amiability an intense joy.
— from The Crime of the Boulevard by Jules Claretie - He accounted them immeasurably his inferiors, and it was this feeling which caused his special amiability and delightful ease and grace towards them.
— from The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - A conversation was commenced, in which the Prince exhibited his amiability and vivacity, while retaining the reserve of etiquette.
— from The Sign of Flame by E. Werner - I want to ask you for your assistance and advice, and knowing your unfailing amiability I think I can count on both.
— from Uncle Vanya: Scenes from Country Life in Four Acts by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov - “He is just the same as ever,” replied Anna Mikháylovna, “overflowing with amiability.
— from War and Peace by graf Leo Tolstoy - Curtly, without amiability, he stated the bare fact.
— from The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale by Joseph Conrad