The Woful Tale of Mr. Peters
The Woful Tale of Mr. Peters by Ambrose Bierce is a short story that follows the life of its titular character, Mr. Peters, who is described as a man with a "miserable face." The story explores themes of misfortune and the cyclical nature of life, as Mr. Peters experiences one unfortunate event after another. Despite his many hardships, Mr. Peters remains steadfast in his belief that he will eventually find happiness. Can I help you with anything else?
By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1893 · Genre: Horror, Short Story, Satire · 953 words
First lines
I should like, good friends, to mention the disaster which befell Mr. William Perry Peters, of the town of Muscatel, Whose fate is full of meaning, if correctly understood -- Admonition to the haughty, consolation to the good.
It happened in the hot snap which we recently incurred, When 'twas warm enough to carbonize the feathers of a bird, And men exclaimed: "By Hunky!" who were bad enough to swear, And pious persons supervised their adjectives with care.
What this Textopian page supports
The Woful Tale of Mr. Peters 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 Story, Satire, Mystery
- Length: 953 words
- Structure: 1 section, 25 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Woful Tale of Mr. Peters by Ambrose Bierce
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Woful Tale of Mr. Peters?
- 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
- The Dog And The Physician by Ambrose Bierce
- A Man by Ambrose Bierce
- An Explanation by Ambrose Bierce
- A Revivalist Revived by Ambrose Bierce
- A Bad Night by Ambrose Bierce
- The Death Of Halpin Frayser by Ambrose Bierce
Genres
- Horror — The author, Ambrose Bierce, is well-known for his horror stories. The title also suggests a tragic or scary narrative.
- Short Story — Bierce's writing style usually involves concise and tight narratives, which are characteristics of the short story genre.
- Satire — Bierce's works often contain elements of dark humor and criticism of society, therefore, it may fall under the satire genre as well.
- Mystery — The title indicates the story may involve the unraveling of unfortunate events related to Mr. Peters, hinting at a mystery genre.
Tags
gothic · horror · supernatural · mystery · thriller · fiction · short story · classic · literature · american literature · 19th century literature · dark humor