91 Results with the "Satire" genre


    • Chapter

      Chapter O

      Chapter O Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter O begins with Bierce’s sardonic take on Oath, described not just as a solemn vow but as an appeal to a deity designed to scare someone into telling the truth. He points out that its real power comes less from divine authority and more from the fear of perjury and punishment. The deeper suggestion is that society often relies on fear rather than integrity to uphold honesty. Bierce’s view strips the ceremonial dignity from the act and leaves behind a mechanism rooted in human insecurity. The oath…
    • Chapter XXVII — Crome yellow Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter XXVII begins with an absurd yet magnetic performance as Mr. Scogan takes on his theatrical alter ego, “Sesostris, the Sorceress of Ecbatana.” Draped in flamboyant robes and heavy with mock mysticism, he draws a crowd eager for entertainment, not enlightenment. One by one, the guests offer their palms and receive cryptic fates—some grave, others comically vague. The sorceress performs with dramatic gravity, her voice thick with prophetic flair, turning every word into a spectacle. Denis,…
      Novel • Satire
    • Chapter XII: What Happened to Lazaro in an Inn Three Miles outside of Valladolid Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter XII: What Happened to Lazaro in an Inn Three Miles outside of Valladolid opens with Lazaro moving away from Madrid with a rare sense of freedom in his step. He carries with him a substantial sum—two hundred silver coins and profits from a sold diamond band—and feels, for once, unburdened by past servitude. On his journey, he finds himself among gypsies and watches their daily rhythms with fascination. Despite their reputation, they exhibit a kind of liberty few others enjoy, wandering without…
      Novel • Satire
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      Chapter IX

      Chapter IX Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter opens with Boxer, the hardworking horse, suffering from a split hoof but refusing to rest, driven by his ambition to see the windmill completed before his retirement. Despite Clover and Benjamin's efforts to treat his injury and persuade him to slow down, Boxer remains steadfast. The narrative then shifts to the topic of retirement ages and pensions established on Animal Farm, revealing the promised benefits for aging animals. Boxer’s twelfth birthday, marking his eligibility for retirement,…
    • Chapter V — Crome Yellow Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter V draws the reader into a vivid landscape of rural life, where farm animals and philosophical musings share equal space. The group’s visit to the Home Farm, hosted by Henry Wimbush, starts innocently enough with a tour of the piggery. There, a sow’s surprising fertility—a litter of fourteen—stirs admiration, while another's disappointing five brings forth practical, if unsettling, commentary about culling. Anne, unsettled by the cold calculations of agricultural efficiency, voices her…
      Novel • Satire
    • My Triumphant Finale Cover
      by LovelyMay My Triumphant Finale begins not with celebration, but with silence—the heavy kind that settles in a prison cell at night when hope has begun to fade. Sigismund Zaluski, a man once full of promise and intellect, finds himself confined not by just stone walls, but by the weight of an accusation rooted in thoughtless gossip. Within those narrow walls, time slows, days blur, and the mind becomes both sanctuary and tormentor. Desperate for a lifeline, he reaches out—not through voice, which the walls…
      Fiction • Satire
    • Chapter

      Chapter E

      Chapter E Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter E opens with a humorous yet insightful look at Eating, defined by Bierce as the successful coordination of many bodily functions, distinguishing between mere consumption and the true enjoyment of a meal. This contrast highlights how the physical act of nourishment often lacks the pleasure associated with fine dining. Through a witty anecdote about the gastronome Brillat-Savarin, Bierce sets the tone for his exploration of ordinary acts, revealing their deeper cultural and emotional layers. The…
    • Chapter XVII — Crome yellow Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter XVII introduces a night thick with tension, not through grand conflict but quiet emotion and social complexity. The chapter begins with Ivor Lombard delivering a passionate piano performance that leaves his listeners awed. His music ends in a dramatic flourish, prompting Mary’s admiration and deepening his enigmatic appeal. Ivor’s charm is effortless, weaving through his talents and physical presence, making others bend subtly to his rhythm. Without hesitation, he suggests they all move…
      Novel • Satire
    • Chapter II: How Lazaro Embarked at Cartagena Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter II: How Lazaro Embarked at Cartagena begins with a quiet sense of desperation masked by hope as Lazaro leaves behind yet another chapter of suffering. Mocked for his ragged clothes and treated as little more than a vagrant, he faces ridicule with an inward resolve. He believes that endurance, no matter how bitter, might yet bring him closer to dignity. With nowhere else to turn, he boards a ship docked at Cartagena, lured by the thought of escape and renewal. The harbor, loud and bustling, gives…
      Novel • Satire
    • Chapter

      Chapter P

      Chapter P Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter P opens with Bierce’s treatment of Pain, which he describes not merely as a physical sensation but as a reminder of life’s imperfection. It is framed not as something to avoid, but something that teaches—unwanted yet often more honest than pleasure. Bierce argues that pain, unlike happiness, demands attention and shapes behavior. In his view, discomfort is more instructive than joy, serving as a sobering influence on human pride. Through this, pain is elevated from nuisance to necessary…
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