About Glass by Frank R. Stockton
Glass is a short story written by Frank R. Stockton that tells the tale of a young woman who discovers a magical glass that can grant her wishes. The story follows her journey as she navigates the consequences of using the glass and ultimately learns an important lesson about the power of gratitude.
By Frank R. Stockton · First published 1893 · Genre: Fiction, Short Story, Fantasy · 3,477 words
First lines
Glass is so common and so cheap that we never think of being grateful for it. But if we had lived a few centuries ago, when the richest people had only wooden shutters to their windows, which, of course, had to be closed whenever it was cold or stormy, making the house as dark as night, and had then been placed in a house lighted by glass windows, we would scarcely have found words to express our thankfulness. It would have been like taking a man out of a dreary prison and setting him in the bright world of God's blessed sunshine. After a time men made small windows of stones that were partly transparent; and then they used skins prepared something like parchment, and finally they used sashes similar to ours, but in them they put oiled paper. And when at last glass came into use, it was so costly that very few were able to buy it, and they had it taken out of the windows and stored carefully away when they went on a journey, as people now store away pictures and silver-plate.
What this Textopian page supports
About Glass is listed on Textopian as a short story by Frank R. Stockton, dated 1893 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Frank R. Stockton
- Date: 1893 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fiction, Short Story, Fantasy, Literary, Adventure
- Length: 3,477 words
- Structure: 1 section, 38 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for About Glass by Frank R. Stockton
- 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 About Glass?
- How does this short story by Frank R. Stockton fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fiction first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Fiction — The book is primarily a work of fiction with imaginative storytelling.
- Short Story — The narrative is concise and fits the structure of a short story.
- Fantasy — Elements of the plot include fantastical and imaginative scenarios.
- Literary — The writing style and themes are reflective of literary fiction.
Tags
fantasy · adventure · mystery · humor · satire · imagination · narrative · short stories · whimsy · social commentary · character study · dialogue