Our Parish: The Curate. The Old Lady. The Half-P
The Curate: The Old Lady: The Half-Pay Captain by Charles Dickens is a novella that explores the lives of three characters in a small English village. The Curate, a young and idealistic clergyman, becomes embroiled in a controversy when he refuses to perform a marriage ceremony for a couple without proper authorization. The Old Lady, a wealthy and influential matriarch, is determined to have her way despite the objections of her family and the Curate. The Half-Pay Captain, a retired military officer, finds himself caught in the middle of the conflict between the Curate and the Old Lady. Through their interactions, Dickens examines themes of authority, tradition, and the role of religion in society.
By Charles Dickens · First published 1839 · Genre: Classic Fiction, Social Commentary, Drama · 2,727 words
First lines
We commenced our last chapter with the beadle of our parish, because we are deeply sensible of the importance and dignity of his office. We will begin the present, with the clergyman. Our curate is a young gentleman of such prepossessing appearance, and fascinating manners, that within one month after his first appearance in the parish, half the young-lady inhabitants were melancholy with religion, and the other half, desponding with love. Never were so many young ladies seen in our parish church on Sunday before; and never had the little round angels' faces on Mr. Tomkins's monument in the side aisle, beheld such devotion on earth as they all exhibited. He was about five-and-twenty when he first came to astonish the parishioners.
What this Textopian page supports
Our Parish: The Curate. The Old Lady. The Half-Pay Captain is listed on Textopian as a short story by Charles Dickens, dated 1839 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Charles Dickens
- Date: 1839 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Classic Fiction, Social Commentary, Drama, Historical Fiction
- Length: 2,727 words
- Structure: 1 section, 20 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Our Parish: The Curate. The Old Lady. The Half-Pay Captain by Charles Dickens
- 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 Our Parish: The Curate. The Old Lady. The Half-Pay Captain?
- How does this short story by Charles Dickens fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Classic Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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- Our Parish The Brokers Man by Charles Dickens
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- Tales The Bloomsbury Christening by Charles Dickens
Genres
- Classic Fiction — The book was written by Charles Dickens, a renowned classic fiction author of the Victorian era.
- Social Commentary — Dickens' works often include reflections on society and its structure, hence this genre placement. The title suggests a focus on various societal roles and statuses.
- Drama — Despite the lack of detailed plot information, Dickens' writings typically contain a high degree of drama and conflict.
- Historical Fiction — Most of Dickens' works are set in the historical context of his own time, making 'historical fiction' a relevant genre, even though his time was 'contemporary' when he wrote the story.
Tags
parish · curate · old lady · half-pay captain · Victorian · satire · social commentary · humor · character study · English society · religion · class