Literary notes about blase (AI summary)
"Blase" in literature often characterizes a disposition marked by world-weariness, indifference, or even a deliberate detachment from the wonders of life. Writers use the term to depict figures who, having encountered life's excesses, either consciously maintain a cool, unenthusiastic air or inadvertently reveal a deep-seated jadedness. For instance, a character might purposely adopt the demeanor of nonchalance even while harboring profound emotions, as when someone strives not to grow blase despite life's many offerings [1] or when a man is noted for his “blase manner,” suggesting a habitual, almost practiced indifference [2]. At times, the term also assumes a critical tone, positioning societal attitudes as overly cynical or fatigue-ridden, exemplified by descriptions of a public that, saturated with excitement, becomes immune to new marvels [3]. Across different texts, "blase" is thus a versatile marker of both personal affect and broader social commentary [4][5].
- But I think I could enjoy ever so many things for years and years without growing blase,” said Erica.
— from We Two: A Novel by Edna Lyall - But he never once lost his blase manner.
— from Short Stories and Selections for Use in the Secondary Schools - The public, grown blase with so many excitements, found in this new marvel a stimulus to reawaken their curiosity.
— from The Master of the World by Jules Verne - He was not blase; he amused himself like a child, adorning the rooms which were to be occupied by Jeanne.
— from Serge Panine — Complete by Georges Ohnet - * * * Stop—Look—Listen “I do not fear a siren With a mass of midnight hair; With wicked, drooping eyelids, And a blase, worldly air;
— from Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, Vol. 2, No. 20, May, 1921America's Magazine of Wit, Humor and Filosophy by Various