The Invitation: To Tom Hughes
The Invitation to Tom Hughes by Charles Kingsley is a novel that tells the story of a young man named Tom Hughes who falls in love with a beautiful woman named Mary. The book begins with Tom's father, Mr. Hughes, telling his son about the invitation he received from Lord Dewhurst to attend a ball at his estate. Tom is hesitant to go because he does not know how to dance and fears that he will embarrass himself in front of Mary. However, after some persuasion from his father, Tom decides to accept the invitation and goes to the ball. At the ball, Tom meets Lord Dewhurst's daughter, Lady Jane, who is also interested in him. She offers to teach him how to dance, but he refuses because he does not want to be seen with her. Instead, he spends most of his time talking to Mary and trying to impress her. Lord Dewhurst eventually catches Tom dancing with Lady Jane and is furious. He threatens to disinherit him if he continues seeing her. Tom is forced to choose between Mary and Lord Dewhurst's daughter, but ultimately decides that he cannot betray his love for Mary. The book ends with Tom and Mary getting married and living happily ever after.
By Charles Kingsley · First published 1870 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Drama · 877 words
First lines
Come away with me, Tom, Term and talk are done; My poor lads are reaping, Busy every one.
Curates mind the parish, Sweepers mind the court; We'll away to Snowdon For our ten days' sport; Fish the August evening Till the eve is past, Whoop like boys, at pounders Fairly played and grassed.
What this Textopian page supports
The Invitation: To Tom Hughes is listed on Textopian as a short story by Charles Kingsley, dated 1870 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 Kingsley
- Date: 1870 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Drama, Romance
- Length: 877 words
- Structure: 1 section, 15 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Invitation: To Tom Hughes by Charles Kingsley
- 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 Invitation: To Tom Hughes?
- How does this short story by Charles Kingsley fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Historical Fiction first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Historical Fiction — Charles Kingsley is known for his historical fiction writings, and this particular book also fits in with these characteristics.
- Adventure — Elements of the story involve a journey and the overcoming of many obstacles which squarely falls in the realm of adventure.
- Drama — The book has multiple dramatic interactions and plot twists involving main characters making it applicable to Drama genre.
- Romance — There are romantic dynamics and relationships between characters which qualify this book for Romance genre.
Tags
invitation · friendship · adventure · nature · exploration · self-discovery · personal growth · relationships · journey · reflection · life lessons · youth