So Young! by George Eliot (1870)
"So Young!" is a novel by George Eliot that explores the themes of love, marriage, and social class in Victorian England. The story follows the lives of two young women, Maggie Tulliver and Lucy Deane, as they navigate their way through the complexities of life and relationships.
By George Eliot · First published 1870 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Satire, Psychological Fiction · 1,963 words
First lines
Ganymede was once a girlishly handsome precocious youth. That one cannot for any considerable number of years go on being youthful, girlishly handsome, and precocious, seems on consideration to be a statement as worthy of credit as the famous syllogistic conclusion, "Socrates was mortal. " But many circumstances have conspired to keep up in Ganymede the illusion that he is surprisingly young. He was the last born of his family, and from his earliest memory was accustomed to be commended as such to the care of his elder brothers and sisters: he heard his mother speak of him as her youngest darling with a loving pathos in her tone, which naturally suffused his own view of himself, and gave him the habitual consciousness of being at once very young and very interesting.
What this Textopian page supports
So Young! is listed on Textopian as a short story by George Eliot, dated 1870 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: 1870 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Fiction, Satire, Psychological Fiction, Social Commentary
- Length: 1,963 words
- Structure: 1 section, 17 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for So Young! by George Eliot
- 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 So Young!?
- How does this short story by George Eliot fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Literary Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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Genres
- Literary Fiction — The narrative focuses on character development, introspection, and the exploration of themes such as identity and perception.
- Satire — The text employs irony and humor to critique societal norms and the protagonist's self-perception.
- Psychological Fiction — The story delves into the protagonist's internal struggles and the psychological impact of his perceived youthfulness.
- Social Commentary — The work comments on societal expectations and the influence of public perception on individual identity.
Tags
youth · identity · growth · self-discovery · relationships · society · ambition · love · conflict · family · friendship · adventure