The Penalty by Gouverneur Morris

Name: The Penalty
Author: Gouverneur Morris

The Penalty is a short story written by Gouverneur Morris that explores the theme of justice and retribution. The story follows a man named John who is sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. As he awaits his execution, John reflects on the injustice of his situation and the flaws in the legal system. In the end, he accepts his fate with dignity and grace, but not before delivering a powerful message about the importance of fairness and justice.

By Gouverneur Morris · First published 1903 · Genre: Crime, Thriller, Drama · 53 chapters · 96,993 words

First lines

The number of love affairs which intervened between Barbara Ferris's first one, when she was eleven, and her twenty-second birthday could not have been counted on the fingers of her two hands. Many boys, many men, had seemed wonderfully attractive to her. She did not know why. She knew only that the attraction seemed strong and eternal while it lasted, and that it never lasted long. She was sixteen before she began to consider herself a heartless, flirtatious, unstable, jilting sort of a girl. When she made this discovery, she was terribly ashamed, and for one long depressing year fell in love with nobody, became very shy, and hated herself. It was during this year that she had her first, last, and only touch of mania. It lasted only a little while and was not acute. She got the idea that she was being watched, spied on, and followed. But she was too strong in body and mind to give in for long to so silly an hallucination.

What this Textopian page supports

The Penalty is listed on Textopian as a novel by Gouverneur Morris, dated 1903 CE.

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Work type: Novel
Author: Gouverneur Morris
Date: 1903 CE
Language: English
Genres: Crime, Thriller, Drama, Psychological, Mystery
Length: 96,993 words
Structure: 53 chapters, 2,269 paragraphs
Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)

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Similar titles

Genres

Crime — The plot centers around criminal activities and the underworld.
Thriller — The narrative is suspenseful and filled with tension.
Drama — The story explores intense emotional and moral themes.
Psychological — The book delves into the psychological motivations of its characters.