The Whole Family
The novel revolves around the fictional family of the Wylies, focusing on their struggles and transformations during a year-long period. The story explores themes of social class, morality, and personal growth as the characters navigate love, loss, and self-discovery.
By Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward · First published 1908 · Genre: Family Saga, Domestic Fiction, Literary Fiction · 12 chapters · 92,582 words
First lines
As soon as we heard the pleasant news -- I suppose the news of an engagement ought always to be called pleasant -- it was decided that I ought to speak first about it, and speak to the father. We had not been a great while in the neighborhood, and it would look less like a bid for the familiar acquaintance of people living on a larger scale than ourselves, and less of an opening for our own intimacy if they turned out to be not quite so desirable in other ways as they were in the worldly way. For the ladies of the respective families first to offer and receive congratulations would be very much more committing on both sides; at the same time, to avoid the appearance of stiffness, some one ought to speak, and speak promptly. The news had not come to us directly from our neighbors, but authoritatively from a friend of theirs, who was also a friend of ours, and we could not very well hold back.
What this Textopian page supports
The Whole Family is listed on Textopian as a novel by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward, dated 1908 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward
- Date: 1908 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Family Saga, Domestic Fiction, Literary Fiction, Drama, Romance
- Length: 92,582 words
- Structure: 12 chapters, 1,135 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Whole Family by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward
- 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 Whole Family?
- How does this novel by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Family Saga first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Family Saga — The plot revolves around the dynamics and relationships within a single family.
- Domestic Fiction — The story focuses on home life and the personal experiences of the family members.
- Literary Fiction — The writing style and themes are sophisticated and explore complex human emotions and social issues.
- Drama — The narrative includes intense emotional conflicts and dramatic situations.
Tags
Family Drama · Social Commentary · Women's Rights · Marriage · Parenting · Siblings · Generational Conflict · Class Differences · Wealth Disparity · Social Status · Morality Tales · Victorian Era
Contents
- THE FATHER, by William Dean Howells
- THE OLD-MAID AUNT, by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
- THE GRANDMOTHER, by Mary Heaton Vorse
- THE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, by Mary Stewart Cutting
- THE SCHOOL-GIRL, by Elizabeth Jordan
- THE SON-IN-LAW, by John Kendrick Bangs
- THE MARRIED SON, by Henry James
- THE MARRIED DAUGHTER, By Elizabeth Stuart Phelps
- THE MOTHER, by Edith Wyatt
- THE SCHOOL-BOY, By Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews
- PEGGY, by Alice Brown
- THE FRIEND OF THE FAMILY, by Henry Van Dyke