The Methuselahite by G.K. Chesterton
The Methuselahite is a short story by G.K. Chesterton that tells the tale of an old man who claims to be over 900 years old and has witnessed many historical events throughout his life. The story explores themes of mortality, memory, and the passage of time.
By G.K. Chesterton · First published 1908 · Genre: Satire, Philosophical Fiction, Essay · 1,073 words
First lines
I Saw in a newspaper paragraph the other day the following entertaining and deeply philosophical incident. A man was enlisting as a soldier at Portsmouth, and some form was put before him to be filled up, common, I suppose, to all such cases, in which was, among other things, an inquiry about what was his religion. With an equal and ceremonial gravity the man wrote down the word "Methuselahite. " Whoever looks over such papers must, I should imagine, have seen some rum religions in his time; unless the Army is going to the dogs. But with all his specialist knowledge he could not "place" Methuselahism among what Bossuet called the variations of Protestantism. He felt a fervid curiosity about the tenets and tendencies of the sect; and he asked the soldier what it meant. The soldier replied that it was his religion "to live as long as he could."
What this Textopian page supports
The Methuselahite is listed on Textopian as a short story by G.K. Chesterton, dated 1908 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: G.K. Chesterton
- Date: 1908 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Satire, Philosophical Fiction, Essay, Social Commentary, Humor
- Length: 1,073 words
- Structure: 1 section, 7 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
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Similar titles
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- The Chorus by G. K. Chesterton
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- The Secret Society Of Mankind by G. K. Chesterton
Genres
- Satire — The text uses humor and irony to critique modern philosophical and religious ideas, particularly the absurdity of new religions.
- Philosophical Fiction — The narrative explores philosophical themes, such as the nature of religion and the paradox of courage, through a fictional anecdote.
- Essay — The work is structured as a reflective essay, presenting arguments and observations on contemporary society and thought.
- Social Commentary — The text comments on societal trends and the proliferation of new ideologies, critiquing their superficiality and contradictions.
Tags
philosophy · immortality · time · existentialism · humanity · faith · morality · society · wisdom · narrative · allegory · metaphor