The Dentist by Harry Graham (1908)
This satirical novel portrays a dentist who is cruel and sadistic, using his profession to exact revenge on his patients for the suffering they inflict on him in their daily lives. The story explores themes of revenge, power dynamics, and the darker aspects of human nature.
By Harry Graham · First published 1908 · Genre: Humor, Satire, Poetry · 461 words
First lines
What a dangerous trade is the dentist's! / With what perils he has to contend, / As he plunges his paws / In the gibbering jaws / Of some trusting but terrified friend, / With the risk that before he is ten minutes older / His arms may be bitten off short at the shoulder!
He is born in the West, is the dentist, / And he speaks with a delicate twang, / When polite as a prince, / He requests you to "rinse," / After gently removing a fang. / ('Tis to save wear-and-tear to the mouth, one supposes, / That dentists consistently talk through their noses.)
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Genres
- Humor — The poem uses wit and humor to describe the experiences and characteristics of a dentist, employing playful language and amusing scenarios.
- Satire — The work satirizes the profession of dentistry, highlighting its quirks and challenges in a light-hearted manner.
- Poetry — The structure and style of the text are poetic, with rhyming lines and a rhythmic flow.
- Social Commentary — The poem offers commentary on societal perceptions of dentists, addressing stereotypes and social norms.
Tags
Dark Comedy · Satire · Absurdism · Social Commentary · Literary Fiction · Novel · Humor · Irony · Critique of Society · Anti-Hero · Black Humor · Morbid Humor
What this Textopian page supports
The Dentist is listed on Textopian as a short story by Harry Graham, 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: Harry Graham
- Date: 1908 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Humor, Satire, Poetry, Social Commentary
- Length: 461 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Dentist by Harry Graham
- 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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More by Harry Graham
- More Misrepresentative Men (1905)
- What's in a Name? (1927)
- Nobody's Darling! (Rhymes for the Times) (1902)
- Roses all the Way (Rhymes for the Times) (1925)
- The Triumph of Jam (Rhymes for the Times) (1902)
- Egregious Eastbourne (Rhymes for the Times) (1907)
- Sarah Owen (Rhymes for the Times) (1902)
- The Last Horsed 'Bus (Rhymes for the Times) (1925)
- All works by Harry Graham