The Ready-To-Halts
This novel explores the lives of Native Americans on a reservation and their struggles with poverty, disease, and cultural suppression. The story centers around a young girl who becomes involved in a plot to overthrow the corrupt agent managing the reservation.
By Helen Hunt Jackson · First published 1867 · Genre: Allegory, Philosophical Fiction, Social Commentary · 1,186 words
First lines
Mr. Ready-to-Halt must have been the most exasperating pilgrim that Great Heart ever dragged over the road to the Celestial City. Mr. Feeble Mind was bad enough; but genuine weakness and organic incapacity appeal all the while to charity and sympathy. If people really cannot walk, they must be carried. Everybody sees that; and all strong people are, or ought to be, ready to lift babies and cripples. There are plenty of such in every parish. The Feeble Minds are unfortunately predisposed to intermarry; and our schools are overrun with the little Masters and Misses Feeble Mind. But, heavy as they are (and they are apt to be fat), they are precious and pleasant friends and neighbors in comparison with the Ready-to-Halts.
What this Textopian page supports
The Ready-To-Halts is listed on Textopian as a short story by Helen Hunt Jackson, dated 1867 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Helen Hunt Jackson
- Date: 1867 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Allegory, Philosophical Fiction, Social Commentary, Didactic Literature, Psychological Fiction
- Length: 1,186 words
- Structure: 1 section, 9 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Ready-To-Halts by Helen Hunt Jackson
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Ready-To-Halts?
- How does this short story by Helen Hunt Jackson fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Allegory first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Allegory — The narrative uses symbolic characters and events to convey deeper moral and philosophical meanings, similar to classic allegorical works.
- Philosophical Fiction — The text explores themes of willpower, decision-making, and personal growth, engaging with philosophical ideas about human nature and development.
- Social Commentary — The work critiques societal norms and parenting practices, particularly the impact of overprotective upbringing on individual autonomy.
- Didactic Literature — The narrative aims to instruct and educate readers on the importance of decision-making and the development of a strong will.
Tags
American Literature · Feminist Fiction · Historical Fiction · Native American Studies · Social Justice · Realism · 19th Century Literature · Western Frontier · Colonialism · Indigenous Peoples · Settlement of the West · Conflict and Tension
More by Helen Hunt Jackson
- Mammy Tittleback and Her Family: A True Story of Seventeen Cats (1886)
- Ramona (1884)
- Hetty's Strange History (1867)
- A Calendar of Sonnets (1882)
- Mercy Philbrick's Choice (1889)
- Between Whiles (1887)
- Draxy Miller's Dowry (1881)
- The Elder's Wife. Sequel to "Draxy Miller's Dowry. " (1882)
- All works by Helen Hunt Jackson