Literary notes about gibe (AI summary)
Literary authors often use "gibe" to depict those moments of acerbic wit or cutting mockery that reveal underlying tensions between characters. It functions as a sharp verbal barb—a playful yet stinging remark—that can both lighten a scene with humor and underscore emotional conflict. In some works, the gibe is delivered as a solitary, dismissive comment meant to unsettle or provoke ([1], [2]), while in others it punctuates a sustained verbal exchange, adding texture to character interplay as seen in classical texts like Homer's "The Iliad" ([3]) and Tolstoy’s narrative in "War and Peace" ([4]). Whether as a fleeting jibe that momentarily amuses or a recurring motif of derision that deepens the thematic fabric of the narrative, "gibe" remains a versatile and potent device in literature ([5], [6]).