Go to the Ant by Grant Allen (1897)
The story follows a young man named John who becomes fascinated with the life of ants and decides to study them in depth. He eventually discovers that they have a complex social structure and are capable of advanced problem-solving skills. The book explores themes of evolution, intelligence, and the nature of consciousness.
By Grant Allen · First published 1897 · Genre: Natural History, Science, Philosophy · 6,348 words
First lines
In the market-place at Santa Fe, in Mexico, peasant women from the neighbouring villages bring in for sale trayfuls of living ants, each about as big and round as a large white currant, and each entirely filled with honey or grape sugar, much appreciated by the ingenuous Mexican youth as an excellent substitute for Everton toffee. The method of eating them would hardly command the approbation of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. It is simple and primitive, but decidedly not humane. Ingenuous youth holds the ant by its head and shoulders, sucks out the honey with which the back part is absurdly distended, and throws away the empty body as a thing with which it has now no further sympathy. Maturer age buys the ants by the quart, presses out the honey through a muslin strainer, and manufactures it into a very sweet intoxicating drink, something like shandygaff, as I am credibly informed by bold persons who have ventured to experiment upon it, taken internally.
What this Textopian page supports
Go to the Ant is listed on Textopian as an essay by Grant Allen, dated 1897 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Essay
- Author: Grant Allen
- Date: 1897 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Natural History, Science, Philosophy, Sociology, Humor
- Length: 6,348 words
- Structure: 1 section, 43 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Go to the Ant by Grant Allen
- 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 Go to the Ant?
- How does this essay by Grant Allen fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Natural History first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- Eight Legged Friends by Grant Allen
- The Mosquito Creatures by D. H. Lawrence
- The Squirrels Harvest by Grant Allen
- Evolution by Grant Allen
- The Mother Hive by Rudyard Kipling
- The Snail Telegraph by Sabine Baring Gould
Genres
- Natural History — The book provides detailed observations and descriptions of various ant species and their behaviors.
- Science — It discusses scientific concepts related to entomology and the ecological roles of ants.
- Philosophy — The text explores philosophical ideas about the role of individual sacrifice for the community.
- Sociology — It draws parallels between ant societies and human social structures, including slavery and agriculture.
Tags
nature · insects · entomology · science · philosophy · observation · behavior · society · metaphor · wisdom · anthropomorphism · survival