Search results
- DictionaryNo·ble sav·age/ˌnōb(ə)l ˈsavij/
noun
- 1. a representative of primitive humankind as idealized in romantic literature, symbolizing the innate goodness of humanity when free from the corrupting influence of civilization: "guilt over the genocide of indigenous peoples led to an exaltation of the noble savage"
Powered by Oxford Languages
People also ask
What is an example of a noble savage?
Who is a noble savage?
What does the noble savage symbolize?
Why was the noble savage a fiction?
Noble savage, in literature, an idealized concept of uncivilized man, who symbolizes the innate goodness of one not exposed to the corrupting influences of civilization. The glorification of the noble savage is a dominant theme in the Romantic writings of the 18th and 19th centuries, especially in
In Western anthropology, philosophy, and literature, the noble savage is a stock character who is uncorrupted by civilization. As such, the noble savage symbolizes the innate goodness and moral superiority of a primitive people living in harmony with Nature.
Jul 24, 2023 · The meaning of NOBLE SAVAGE is a mythic conception of people belonging to non-European cultures as having innate natural simplicity and virtue uncorrupted by European civilization; also : a person exemplifying this conception.
Feb 25, 2016 · The noble savage binds Indigenous peoples to an impossible standard. The brutal savage, by contrast, becomes the pre-emptive argument for Indigenous failings.
noble savage. Someone who belongs to an “uncivilized” group or tribe and is considered to be, consequently, more worthy than people who live within civilization. Many writers and thinkers through the centuries of Western civilization have believed in the noble savage.
May 21, 2018 · The noble savage was a fiction, a literary device that allowed social critics to invert European culture, to point out its flaws, and to suggest ways it might be improved. The savage was the man — singular and usually male — who lived without society.