The Camel's Back
The story revolves around a wealthy and materialistic family, the Davenants, who are struggling to maintain their social status. The narrative explores themes of class, identity, and morality as the family's fortunes begin to decline. Through the character of Anthony Harker, a self-made millionaire, the novel critiques the excesses of capitalism and the empty lives of the wealthy elite.
By F. Scott Fitzgerald · First published 1924 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Romantic Comedy, Social Commentary · 11,435 words
First lines
I
The glazed eye of the tired reader resting for a second on the above title will presume it to be merely metaphorical. Stories about the cup and the lip and the bad penny and the new broom rarely have anything, to do with cups or lips or pennies or brooms. This story is the exception. It has to do with a material, visible and large-as-life camel's back.
What this Textopian page supports
The Camel's Back is listed on Textopian as a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, dated 1924 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Date: 1924 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Fiction, Romantic Comedy, Social Commentary, Satire, Coming-of-Age
- Length: 11,435 words
- Structure: 1 section, 389 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Camel's Back by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- 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 Camel's Back?
- How does this novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Literary Fiction first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Literary Fiction — The story explores complex characters and themes of love, societal expectations, and personal identity, characteristic of literary fiction.
- Romantic Comedy — The plot revolves around romantic entanglements and misunderstandings, infused with humor and light-hearted situations.
- Social Commentary — The narrative critiques social norms and the superficiality of social gatherings in the early 20th century.
- Satire — The exaggerated portrayal of characters and situations serves to satirize societal behaviors and attitudes.
Tags
short story · American literature · 20th century · modernism · social commentary · humor · satire · class struggle · wealth · relationships · irony · character study