Joey by James Matthew Barrie (1916)

Name: Joey
Author: James Matthew Barrie

The story revolves around a young boy who dies and becomes the invisible friend of two siblings. He is a mischievous and magical presence in their lives, but also a harbinger of death. The novel explores themes of childhood innocence, mortality, and the power of imagination.

By James Matthew Barrie · First published 1916 · Genre: Children's Literature, Comedy, Fantasy · 3,187 words

First lines

Wise children always choose a mother who was a shocking flirt in her maiden days, and so had several offers before she accepted their fortunate papa. The reason they do this is because every offer refused by their mother means another pantomime to them. You see you can't trust to your father's taking you to the pantomime, but you can trust to every one of the poor frenzied gentlemen for whom that lady has wept a delicious little tear on her lovely little cambric handkerchief. It is pretty (but dreadfully affecting) to see them on Boxing Night gathering together the babies of their old loves. Some knock at but one door and bring a hansom, but others go from street to street in private 'buses, and even wear false noses to conceal the sufferings you inflict upon them as you grew more and more like your sweet cruel mamma.

What this Textopian page supports

Joey is listed on Textopian as a short story by James Matthew Barrie, dated 1916 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Short story
Author: James Matthew Barrie
Date: 1916 CE
Language: English
Genres: Children's Literature, Comedy, Fantasy, Drama, Adventure
Length: 3,187 words
Structure: 1 section, 44 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

Good citation fit

Work identity for Joey by James Matthew Barrie
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 Joey?
How does this short story by James Matthew Barrie fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
Where does Children's Literature first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

Genres

Children's Literature — The narrative centers around a child's experience and perspective, with themes of innocence, humor, and moral lessons.
Comedy — The story is filled with humorous situations, slapstick comedy, and playful dialogue, particularly involving the clown Joey.
Fantasy — Elements of fantasy are present in the exaggerated and whimsical events, such as the sausage machine that turns a dog into sausages and back again.
Drama — The story includes emotional moments and moral dilemmas, such as David's distress over the dog's fate and Joey's internal conflict with his passion for sausages.