Truth and Another by E.V. Lucas
In this fable, the narrator meets a woman who approaches him hesitantly, uncertain of how she will be received. When he asks who she is, she identifies herself as Truth. He apologizes for not recognizing her. She responds wearily that hardly anyone knows her, and that she is constantly having to explain her identity, with many people failing to understand even after she does. Later, the narrator encounters her again, or someone identical to her, and greets her confidently as Miss Truth, certain this time he will not be mistaken. She corrects him coldly, stating that he is misinformed and that her name is Libel. When the narrator protests that she looks exactly like Truth, she silences him with a hushed warning.
By E.V. Lucas · First published 1868 · Genre: Fable, Satire, Philosophical Fiction · 161 words
First lines
Fables
She came towards me rather dubiously, as though not sure of her / reception.
"Who are you? " I asked.
"Truth," she said.
Similar titles
- The Thousand Threepenny Bits by E. V. Lucas
- The Wise Men by Stephen Crane
- The Optimist by Saki
- The Triumph Of The Donkey by G. K. Chesterton
- The Red Town by G. K. Chesterton
- The Lion The Cock And The Ass by Ambrose Bierce
Genres
- Fable — The work is explicitly labeled as a fable and employs the characteristic form of personified abstract concepts (Truth and Libel) to convey moral wisdom through a brief narrative.
- Satire — The ironic twist that Truth and Libel are physically indistinguishable serves as sharp social commentary on how easily truth and falsehood are confused in society, characteristic of satirical literature.
- Philosophical Fiction — The narrative explores fundamental questions about the nature of truth, identity, and perception, engaging readers in philosophical reflection through narrative form.
- Allegory — The story uses personified abstractions (Truth and Libel as characters) to represent philosophical concepts and explore their relationships and distinctions.
Tags
essays · philosophy · wisdom · duality · contrasts · witty observations · social commentary · reflections · human nature · paradoxes · intellectual · aphorisms
What this Textopian page supports
Truth and Another is listed on Textopian as a short story by E.V. Lucas, dated 1868 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: E.V. Lucas
- Date: 1868 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fable, Satire, Philosophical Fiction, Allegory, Short Story
- Length: 161 words
- Structure: 1 section, 11 paragraphs
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Truth and Another by E.V. Lucas
- 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