Literary notes about corpulence (AI summary)
The term "corpulence" has been wielded by writers as a pointed descriptor of physical heft, often imbued with a negative connotation that accentuates unflattering or even grotesque attributes. In La Fontaine’s fables, for instance, the sudden onset of corpulence ([1]) suggests an unexpected, perhaps even fated, transformation. Russian literature employs the word with equal vividness; both Chekhov and other anthologies highlight the "loathsome corpulence" of a character, emphasizing his physical decay or moral degradation ([2], [3]). Meanwhile, English playwright John Galsworthy and Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky use the term more matter-of-factly to sketch out character profiles—a middle-aged man "inclined to corpulence" ([4]) or a "short, stout" individual described as corpulent ([5])—thereby reinforcing the association between physical girth and certain social or personal traits.
- Of which the consequence Was sudden corpulence.
— from Fables of La Fontaine — a New Edition, with Notes by Jean de La Fontaine - And now, as if for the first time, they perceived the horrible bluishness of his face and the loathsome corpulence of his body.
— from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov - And now, as if for the first time, they perceived the horrible bluishness of his face and the loathsome corpulence of his body.
— from Best Russian Short Stories - [The door opens and MARLOW ushers in a man of middle age, inclined to corpulence, in evening dress.
— from The Silver Box: A Comedy in Three Acts by John Galsworthy - He was a man of about five and thirty, short, stout even to corpulence, and clean shaven.
— from Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
