An Inflated Ambition
"An Inflated Ambition" is a short story by Ambrose Bierce, published in 1896. The story follows the character of Colonel Ashurst, who has spent his entire life working towards becoming a prominent and respected member of society. However, when he finally achieves his goal, he realizes that his success has not brought him the happiness he expected, and he is left feeling empty and unfulfilled. As he reflects on his life, Colonel Ashurst comes to understand that his inflated ambition has been the source of his unhappiness, and he must confront the emptiness he feels in order to find true fulfillment.
By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1893 · Genre: Satire, Fiction, Literary · 73 words
First lines
The President of a great Corporation went into a dry-goods shop and saw a placard which read:
"If You Don't See What You Want, Ask For It."
Approaching the shopkeeper, who had been narrowly observing him as he read the placard, he was about to speak, when the shopkeeper called to a salesman:
"John, show this gentleman the world."
What this Textopian page supports
An Inflated Ambition is listed on Textopian as a fable by Ambrose Bierce, dated 1893 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Fable
- Author: Ambrose Bierce
- Date: 1893 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Satire, Fiction, Literary
- Length: 73 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for An Inflated Ambition by Ambrose Bierce
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering An Inflated Ambition?
- How does this fable by Ambrose Bierce fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Satire first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Saint And The Monk by Ambrose Bierce
- A Forfeited Right by Ambrose Bierce
- Philosophers Three by Ambrose Bierce
- One And One Are Two by Ambrose Bierce
- An Inadequate Fee by Ambrose Bierce
- Disavowal by Ambrose Bierce
Genres
- Satire — The title and the author's known body of work suggests that this book could be a satirical examination of ambition and its consequences.
- Fiction — Ambrose Bierce is a known fiction writer, and the title suggests the exploration of the human condition through a narrative, which is characteristic of fiction.
- Literary — Bierce is renowned for his literary prowess, and the book's title indicates strong thematic undertones, suggestive of the literary genre.
Tags
gothic · horror · fantasy · supernatural · mystery · thriller · suspense · psychological · literary · american · classic · short-story