Literary notes about feint (AI summary)
In literature, the term "feint" is employed both literally and metaphorically to denote a deceptive or pretended action meant to distract from a true motive. Authors use it to describe physical maneuvers, as in military contexts where maneuvers are staged to mislead the enemy—for instance, orchestrating diversions in battle to concentrate forces elsewhere [1], [2]—and in scenes of personal behavior where characters feign emotions or intentions, such as feigning protest or reluctance to act [3], [4]. This dual usage enriches narratives by adding layers of strategic misdirection and character complexity, whether in the realm of combat or in subtle interpersonal exchanges [5], [6].
- Under cover of night our right wing was withdrawn to the north side of the river, Lee being completely deceived by Wilson's feint.
— from Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, Complete by Ulysses S. Grant - The attack on Hougomont was something of a feint; the plan was to draw Wellington thither, and to make him swerve to the left.
— from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo - He makes a feint of offering a protest, but she sweeps it away with her disdainful hand.
— from Bleak House by Charles Dickens - I have always regretted that feint of ours in going away and pretending to come back legally married, to save appearances.
— from Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy - Marcel, whose back was against the wall, feinted, and followed up the feint with a thrust, quick as lightning.
— from In Hostile Red by Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander) Altsheler - Feint him; use your legs; draw him about.
— from Tom Brown's School Days by Thomas Hughes
