On Saturnalia by Hilaire Belloc
The novel is a satirical comedy that explores the excesses of modern society through a series of absurd and humorous events. It follows the story of a group of people who gather at a country house for a weekend, where they engage in various forms of debauchery and decadence. The novel critiques the social conventions and moral values of the time, using satire to highlight the hypocrisy and superficiality of modern life.
By Hilaire Belloc · First published 1900 · Genre: Essay, Cultural Criticism, Philosophical · 1,684 words
First lines
One of the bothers of writing is that words carry about upon their backs nowadays a great pack of past meanings and derivations, and that -- particularly to-day -- no word is standing still as it were and meaning something once and for all which a plain man can say without being laughed at for ignorance or for affectation. For instance, Saturnalia. To one man it means a certain bundle of ritual many centuries dead, common to a particular district of Italy and practised in midwinter. To another man it means a lot of poor people having an exaggerated beanfeast and thereby annoying the rich people. But it does not mean either of these things to the plain man. It means to the plain man occasion and specific occasion for turning things upside down and getting breathing space for a while from the crushing order of this world.
What this Textopian page supports
On Saturnalia is listed on Textopian as a short story by Hilaire Belloc, dated 1900 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Hilaire Belloc
- Date: 1900 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Essay, Cultural Criticism, Philosophical, Historical, Satire
- Length: 1,684 words
- Structure: 1 section, 17 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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Discussion starters
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Genres
- Essay — The work is a reflective and analytical piece discussing cultural and historical themes.
- Cultural Criticism — It critiques modern society's loss of traditional practices and rituals.
- Philosophical — Explores philosophical questions about human nature and societal needs.
- Historical — References historical practices and traditions to support its arguments.
Tags
Satirical · Social Commentary · Historical Fiction · Roman Empire · Ancient Rome · Festivals and Celebrations · Cultural Anthropology · Literary Satire · Humor · Wit · Philosophy · Morality