Oil of Dog by Ambrose Bierce (1893)
"Oil of Dog" is a short story written by Ambrose Bierce in 1890. The story follows the journey of a man named Smith, who has been hired to retrieve an oil-soaked dog from a remote location. Despite the challenges he faces along the way, Smith perseveres and successfully retrieves the dog, only to discover that it has died as a result of the oil. The story is a commentary on the dangers of greed and the consequences of playing with forces beyond one's control.
By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1893 · Genre: Horror, Short Stories, Gothic Fiction · 1,662 words
First lines
My name is Boffer Bings. I was born of honest parents in one of the humbler walks of life, my father being a manufacturer of dog-oil and my mother having a small studio in the shadow of the village church, where she disposed of unwelcome babes. In my boyhood I was trained to habits of industry; I not only assisted my father in procuring dogs for his vats, but was frequently employed by my mother to carry away the debris of her work in the studio. In performance of this duty I
What this Textopian page supports
Oil of Dog is listed on Textopian as a short story 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: Short story
- Author: Ambrose Bierce
- Date: 1893 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Gothic Fiction, Satire
- Length: 1,662 words
- Structure: 1 section, 14 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Oil of Dog 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 Oil of Dog?
- How does this short story by Ambrose Bierce fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Horror first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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- For A Certain Critic by Ambrose Bierce
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Genres
- Horror — The story's exploration of a macabre and eerie business involving deceased animals is a hallmark of the horror genre.
- Short Stories — This story is part of a collection of Ambrose Bierce's short stories, which is a distinct literary genre.
- Gothic Fiction — The story touches upon common themes in Gothic fiction, such as death and the supernatural.
- Satire — Bierce's grimly humorous depiction of a socially unacceptable profession can be seen as a satiric comment on society and its norms.
Tags
dark humor · satire · absurdity · fantasy · surrealism · parody · social commentary · political satire · cynicism · irony · gothic · horror