Literary notes about sarcastic (AI summary)
In literature, the adjective "sarcastic" is used to convey a range of tones from playful wit to biting contempt. It often marks a deliberate contrast between appearance and underlying sentiment, as when a character performs a “very sarcastic curtsey” [1] or delivers a remark that belies genuine feeling, such as the “sarcastic comment” that hardly comforts [2]. Authors employ the term to enrich dialogue and characterization, using a “sarcastic smile” or “sarcastic nods” to hint at hidden irony or criticism [3, 4, 5]. Through these nuanced expressions, writers reveal the complexities of human interaction, where humor, derision, and even self-deprecation mingle to cast a critical eye on societal norms and personal failings.
- She made a little grimace, pouting her lower lip, and dropped a very sarcastic curtsey.
— from A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Iurevich Lermontov - "Very comforting," was Miss Cornelia's sarcastic comment.
— from Anne's House of Dreams by L. M. Montgomery - " "Why should I urge him on?" rejoined Lin Tai-yü, with a sarcastic smile, "nor will I trouble myself to give him advice.
— from Hung Lou Meng, or, the Dream of the Red Chamber, a Chinese Novel, Book I by Xueqin Cao - “You are mistaken,” said Borís deliberately, with a bold and slightly sarcastic smile.
— from War and Peace by graf Leo Tolstoy - At these words lady Feng gave a sarcastic smile.
— from Hung Lou Meng, or, the Dream of the Red Chamber, a Chinese Novel, Book I by Xueqin Cao