The Power of the Scalawag
The Power of the Scalawag is a short story written by Ambrose Bierce in 1896. It follows the tale of a man named Jack who becomes embroiled in a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a ruthless outlaw known as the Scalawag. As Jack navigates this treacherous situation, he must confront his own moral ambiguities and the harsh realities of life on the frontier. Through its gripping plot and thought-provoking themes, The Power of the Scalawag showcases Bierce's mastery of the short story form and his ability to craft compelling characters and narratives.
By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1870 · Genre: Satire, Historical Fiction, Political Fiction · 96 words
First lines
A Forestry Commissioner had just felled a giant tree when, seeing an honest man approaching, he dropped his axe and fled. The next day when he cautiously returned to get his axe, he found the following lines pencilled on the stump:
"What nature reared by centuries of toil,
A scalawag in half a day can spoil;
An equal fate for him may Heaven provide
What this Textopian page supports
The Power of the Scalawag is listed on Textopian as a fable by Ambrose Bierce, dated 1870 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: 1870 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Satire, Historical Fiction, Political Fiction, Social Commentary
- Length: 96 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Power of the Scalawag 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 Power of the Scalawag?
- 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 Committee On Public Morals by Ambrose Bierce
- Lusus Politicus by Ambrose Bierce
- Public Waste by Rudyard Kipling
- Tods Amendment by Rudyard Kipling
- Senator North by Gertrude Atherton
- The Panjandrum by Anthony Trollope
Genres
- Satire — Ambrose Bierce is known for his sardonic view of human nature, often using wit and sarcasm in a satirical approach to critique society.
- Historical Fiction — The term 'scalawag' is historically associated with Southern white Americans who supported Reconstruction and the Republican Party, after the American Civil War, indicating elements of historical context in the storyline.
- Political Fiction — The historical association of 'scalawag' and its relationship with political stances lends this story a genre of political fiction.
- Social Commentary — Bierce’s works often contain critiques of society, its norms, and power dynamics, indicating that social commentary is a relevant genre.
Tags
satire · politics · American history · Civil War · Reconstruction · social commentary · humor · irony · political corruption · regionalism · Southern identity · cynicism