The Conscientious Official
The Conscientious Official by Ambrose Bierce is a short story that explores the themes of bureaucracy and the monotony of office work. The narrator, a low-ranking official in a government department, describes his daily routine as he goes about his duties with little enthusiasm or passion. Despite the mundane nature of his work, the narrator takes pride in his attention to detail and his commitment to following procedure. As the story progresses, the narrator's monotony is interrupted by a visit from a higher-ranking official who offers him a promotion, but ultimately rejects it, citing his desire to remain in his current position where he can maintain a sense of control over his work. The story raises questions about the nature of work and the human desire for autonomy and purpose.
By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1879 · Genre: Satire, Social Critique, Fiction · 154 words
First lines
While a Division Superintendent of a railway was attending closely to his business of placing obstructions on the track and tampering with the switches he received word that the President of the road was about to discharge him for incompetency.
"Good Heavens!" he cried; "there are more accidents on my division than on all the rest of the line."
"The President is very particular," said the Man who brought him the news; "he thinks the same loss of life might be effected with less damage to the company's property."
"Does he expect me to shoot passengers through the car windows?" exclaimed the indignant official, spiking a loose tie across the rails. "Does he take me for an assassin?"
What this Textopian page supports
The Conscientious Official is listed on Textopian as a fable by Ambrose Bierce, dated 1879 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: 1879 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Satire, Social Critique, Fiction
- Length: 154 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Conscientious Official 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 The Conscientious Official?
- 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
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- Two Politicians by Ambrose Bierce
- The Politicians And The Plunder by Ambrose Bierce
- A Political Violet by Ambrose Bierce
- One President by Ambrose Bierce
- For Mayor by Ambrose Bierce
Genres
- Satire — Bierce's narrative style and the depiction of bureaucracy places this book under satire.
- Social Critique — Bierce targets corruption and inefficiency in government work, which serves as a critique of society.
- Fiction — The Conscientious Official falls under fiction since it portrays an invented or imaginary content.
Tags
satire · politics · government · bureaucracy · corruption · power · ambition · ethics · morality · social commentary · fiction · short story