Literary notes about courtesy (AI summary)
Literary works employ the term to reflect a spectrum of social behavior, ranging from genuine politeness to pointed irony. In one case, a character’s insincere, almost mocking display of politeness exposes underlying sarcasm and pretension [1], while in another setting it elevates a humble request into an act of dignified formality [2]. In some passages, courtesy is portrayed as a mere veneer that barely conceals deeper selfishness, hinting at the contradiction between surface civility and inner motives [3]. Overall, the word captures an array of nuances—from chivalrous consideration to calculated politeness—illustrating its enduring complexity in literature.
- "Mrs. Fawley, I presume?" said Tinker Taylor with mock courtesy.
— from Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy - “I will not rise, senor,” answered the afflicted damsel, “unless of your courtesy the boon I ask is first granted me.”
— from The History of Don Quixote, Volume 1, Complete by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra - Courtesy is only a thin veneer on the general selfishness.
— from Letters of Two Brides by Honoré de Balzac
