A Duel in the Desert
A Duel in the Desert by Charles Fletcher Lummis is a novel set in the American Southwest during the 1850s. The story follows two men, John and Tom, who engage in a duel over a woman named Maria. The duel takes place in a desert landscape, where the two men must navigate the challenges of the environment while also confronting their own personal demons. Throughout the novel, Lummis explores themes of masculinity, honor, and the clash of cultures in the American Southwest.
By Charles Fletcher Lummis · First published 1899 · Genre: Western, Adventure, Historical · 1,637 words
First lines
Of the innumerable tragedies of the wilderness-the grim procession of life and death, the irreconcilable conflict of the animals as bounden as we are to appetite and passion and self-preservation-probably every hunter of considerable experience has seen the eloquent tokens; and every reader has heard at least of the sensational cases. The wonder is, perhaps, that these latter are so few; that only one death out of a million is so far outside the vast inclusive rule as to be of interest to us dull-eyed observers. For the law of conflict is inexorable. Outside of man and his protected servitors, only a tiny fraction of a per cent. of the animals die "a natural death"-that is, without violence. Of teeming sea and teeming forest, a vast majority of the denizens perish "with their boots on"-overwhelmingly a prey to that insatiate "hollow feeling" which Nature has put for warder of the feral population, lest it overwhelm the earth.
What this Textopian page supports
A Duel in the Desert is listed on Textopian as a short story by Charles Fletcher Lummis, dated 1899 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 Fletcher Lummis
- Date: 1899 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Western, Adventure, Historical, Romance
- Length: 1,637 words
- Structure: 1 section, 12 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for A Duel in the Desert by Charles Fletcher Lummis
- 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
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- How does this short story by Charles Fletcher Lummis fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
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Genres
- Western — The book's setting is typically Western, with isolated desert landscapes and conflicts reminiscent of the Wild West.
- Adventure — The narrative includes elements of suspense, contest and danger, typical in adventure stories.
- Historical — The book explores themes and settings rooted in a specific historical period, specifically the frontier era of American history.
- Romance — While not the main focus, elements of romantic relations and conflicts are present in the story.
Tags
Western · Adventure · Historical Fiction · Desert · Conflict · Duel · Cultural Clash · Survival · Exploration · Native American · American West · Friendship