Literary notes about mignon (AI summary)
In literature, the term "mignon" carries a range of connotations, often serving as both a personal name and a descriptor loaded with nuance. At times it identifies a character who is delicate, enigmatic, or even defiant of convention, as when a reform-resistant Mignon is invoked with a hint of ironic detachment [1] or when a character’s very identity is interwoven with a lyrical, almost mythical quality [2, 3]. In other narratives, "Mignon" marks familial or institutional heritage, suggesting not only individual charm but also a storied background or elevated status [4, 5]. Furthermore, its appearance in poetic lines evokes both the fragility and the spirited resilience of a character, enhancing the texture of the text and inviting the reader to explore themes of identity and irony [6].
- "You might as well try to carry water in a sieve as to reform Mignon," shrugged Muriel Harding.
— from Marjorie Dean, High School Sophomore by Josephine Chase - “Have you a letter for Mademoiselle Mignon?”
— from The Works of Balzac: A linked index to all Project Gutenberg editions by Honoré de Balzac - "Now, we must finish with Mignon's song; for Mr. Bhaer sings that," said Jo, before the pause grew painful.
— from Little Women; Or, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Louisa May Alcott - [Modeste Mignon.] AMANDA, Parisian modiste at the time of Louis Philippe.
— from Repertory of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A — Z by Cerfberr and Christophe - Modeste Mignon is of high birth, and Mongenod has just told me that her father, the Comte de La Bastie, has something like six millions.
— from The Works of Balzac: A linked index to all Project Gutenberg editions by Honoré de Balzac - Come, Mignon, tell me plainly now, Do you camp ever on a monarch's brow, [Pg 218] Or on a beauty's cheek?
— from The Fables of La Fontaine by Jean de La Fontaine
