A Man Surprised at his Originality
A Man Surprised at his Originality is a short story by George Eliot that explores the theme of self-discovery and personal growth. The protagonist, Mr. Gresham, is a man who has always prided himself on his originality and independence of thought. However, when he meets a woman named Mrs. Linwood who shares many of his beliefs and opinions, he begins to question his own uniqueness. Through their interactions, Mr. Gresham comes to realize that true originality lies not in having different ideas from others, but in being able to think for oneself and express those thoughts with clarity and conviction. The story ultimately celebrates the power of individual thought and encourages readers to embrace their own unique perspectives.
By George Eliot · First published 1872 · Genre: Satire, Philosophical Fiction, Literary Fiction · 2,986 words
First lines
Among the many acute sayings of La Rochefoucauld, there is hardly one more acute than this: "La plus grande ambition n'en a pas la moindre apparence lorsqu'elle se rencontre dans une impossibilité absolue d'arriver où elle aspire. " Some of us might do well to use this hint in our treatment of acquaintances and friends from whom we are expecting gratitude because we are so very kind in thinking of them, inviting them, and even listening to what they say -- considering how insignificant they must feel themselves to be. We are often fallaciously confident in supposing that our friend's state of mind is appropriate to our moderate estimate of his importance: almost as if we imagined the humble mollusc (so useful as an illustration) to have a sense of his own exceeding softness and low place in the scale of being. Your mollusc, on the contrary, is inwardly objecting to every other grade of solid rather than to himself.
What this Textopian page supports
A Man Surprised at his Originality is listed on Textopian as a short story by George Eliot, dated 1872 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: George Eliot
- Date: 1872 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Satire, Philosophical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Social Commentary, Psychological Fiction
- Length: 2,986 words
- Structure: 1 section, 23 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for A Man Surprised at his Originality by George Eliot
- 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 A Man Surprised at his Originality?
- How does this short story by George Eliot fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Satire first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- Looking Inward by George Eliot
- The Enlightenments Of Pagett M P by Rudyard Kipling
- A Modern Idyll by Frank Harris
- Views Of Life Acton Bell by Charlotte Bronte
- Diseases Of Small Authorship by George Eliot
- The Philosopher Ellis Bell by Charlotte Bronte
Genres
- Satire — The narrative employs irony and humor to critique societal norms and individual pretensions.
- Philosophical Fiction — The text explores themes of originality, intellectual pretension, and the nature of thought.
- Literary Fiction — The writing style and character development focus on introspection and social commentary.
- Social Commentary — The work critiques social structures and the perception of intellectualism within society.
Tags
originality · self-discovery · identity · individualism · introspection · human experience · creativity · philosophy · society · existentialism · literary analysis · character development