The Great American Pie Company
The Great American Pie Company is a humorous novel by Ellis Parker Butler. It tells the story of a small-town pie shop owner, Mr. Guffy, who is determined to make the best pies in the world. He hires a young man, Tom, to help him in his quest. Together, they embark on a journey to find the perfect ingredients for their pies. Along the way, they encounter a variety of characters, from a mysterious old man to a traveling salesman. As they travel, they learn about the importance of friendship, loyalty, and hard work. In the end, they succeed in creating the perfect pie, and the Great American Pie Company is born.
By Ellis Parker Butler · First published 1904 · Genre: Humor, Satire, Fiction · 5 chapters · 4,130 words
First lines
If you take a pie and cut it in two, the track of your knife will represent the course of Mud River through the town of Gloning, and that part of the pie to the left of your knife will be the East Side, while the part to the right will be the West Side. Away out on the edge of the pie, where the town fritters away into the fields and shanties on the East Side, dwells Mrs. Deacon, and a fatter, better-natured creature never trod the crust of the earth or made the crust of a pie. Being in reduced circumstances, owing to the inability of Mr. Deacon to appreciate the beneficial effects of work, Mrs. Deacon turned her famous baking ability to account, and in a small way began selling her excellent homemade pies to those who liked a superior article. In time Mrs. Deacon established a considerable trade among the people of Gloning, and Mr. Deacon was wrested from his customary seat on the back steps to make daily delivery trips with the Deacon home-made pies.
What this Textopian page supports
The Great American Pie Company is listed on Textopian as a short story by Ellis Parker Butler, dated 1904 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Ellis Parker Butler
- Date: 1904 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Humor, Satire, Fiction, Business, American Literature
- Length: 4,130 words
- Structure: 5 chapters, 158 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Great American Pie Company by Ellis Parker Butler
- 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
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Great American Pie Company?
- How does this short story by Ellis Parker Butler fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Humor first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Humor — The book is a humorous satire of American culture and business practices.
- Satire — The book is a humorous satire of American culture and business practices.
- Fiction — The book is a work of fiction, not a factual account of the Great American Pie Company.
- Business — The book is a satire of American business practices and culture.
Tags
humor · satire · American culture · food · entrepreneurship · small business · family · community · rural life · quirky characters · social commentary · 19th century