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Literary notes about gendarme (AI summary)

Literary usage of the word “gendarme” spans a wide range of depictions—from the strict enforcer of state authority to a more human, sometimes humorous figure. In many narratives, such as those by Dumas and Hugo ([1], [2], [3]), the gendarme appears as a symbol of official power, involved in dramatic or decisive moments of law and order. At the same time, authors like Maupassant and Chekhov introduce a lighter tone, employing the gendarme in witty or ironic contexts—whether through a sardonic remark or a comically mundane duty ([4], [5], [6]). This duality in representation, evident in examples ranging from the assertive, action-oriented character in [7] and [8] to the genial, everyday presence noted in [9] and [10], underscores how the gendarme functions as both a personification of state control and a versatile, humanized character in literature.
  1. At Amiens station the door was opened, and a gendarme entered and seated himself by the side of Préveraud.
    — from The History of a Crime by Victor Hugo
  2. “It is for you,” replied a gendarme.
    — from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet
  3. Préveraud, full of surprise and rage, gently pushed back the gendarme's hand.
    — from The History of a Crime by Victor Hugo
  4. The gendarme made a little joke: “He takes the shepherd's blankets.”
    — from Complete Original Short Stories of Guy De Maupassant by Guy de Maupassant
  5. And he wants the gendarme to be sure to mention his countenance.
    — from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
  6. ” “What am I to write next?” asks the gendarme.
    — from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
  7. On a given signal from the friendly gendarme, Delisle fled, while another gendarme took aim and shot him through the thigh.
    — from Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay
  8. On a given signal from the friendly gendarme, Delisle fled, while another gendarme took aim and shot him through the thigh.
    — from Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay
  9. But the sturdy Madame Loiseau, who had the soul of a gendarme, continued morose, speaking little and eating much.
    — from Complete Original Short Stories of Guy De Maupassant by Guy de Maupassant
  10. When our cook Martha used to ask about her gendarme, she used to say my man.
    — from Plays by Anton Chekhov, Second Series by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

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