A Family Affair

Name: A Family Affair
Author: Josephine Daskam Bacon

The novel revolves around the lives of a wealthy family and their struggles with social class, morality, and personal relationships. The story centers on the family's patriarch, who is struggling to maintain his family's status in society while dealing with his own personal demons. As the narrative unfolds, it becomes clear that the family's wealth and privilege have created a sense of entitlement and complacency among its members. However, this facade begins to crumble as secrets and scandals are revealed, threatening to destroy the family's reputation and relationships. Throughout the novel, themes of class, morality, and personal responsibility are explored in depth. The characters' actions and decisions are driven by their desire for social status, wealth, and power, but ultimately lead to a downward spiral of destruction and chaos. The novel is a commentary on the societal norms of the time, highlighting the hypocrisy and superficiality of the wealthy elite. It also explores the consequences of unchecked ambition and the corrupting influence of power.

By Josephine Daskam Bacon · First published 1919 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Coming-of-Age, Social Commentary · 12,318 words

First lines

There are Jacksons and Jacksons. As everybody knows, many, possibly most, of those who bear that title might as well have been called Jones or Robinson; on the other hand, I am told that certain Massachusetts families of that name will, on solicitation, admit it to be their belief that Eve was a Cabot and Adam a Jackson. Without asserting that she was personally convinced of this great fact, it is necessary to state that Susan was of the last-named variety of Jackson. She was distinctly democratic, however, and rather strong-willed, and for both of these reasons she came to college. It did not entirely please the family: neither of her sisters had gone, and her brothers in particular were against it. It is probable that she would have been decoyed from her plan had it not been that her cousin, Constance Quincy Jackson, had been for a year one of the young assistants who dash like meteors through the catalogue and disappear mysteriously, just as astronomers have begun to place them, into the obscurity whence they came.

What this Textopian page supports

A Family Affair is listed on Textopian as a short story by Josephine Daskam Bacon, dated 1919 CE.

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

Work type: Short story
Author: Josephine Daskam Bacon
Date: 1919 CE
Language: English
Genres: Literary Fiction, Coming-of-Age, Social Commentary, Women's Fiction, Drama
Length: 12,318 words
Structure: 1 section, 94 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

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Work identity for A Family Affair by Josephine Daskam Bacon
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Discussion starters

What should a reader notice first when entering A Family Affair?
How does this short story by Josephine Daskam Bacon fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
Where does Literary Fiction first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

Genres

Literary Fiction — The work explores complex characters and their emotional and intellectual struggles, focusing on themes of identity, ambition, and societal expectations.
Coming-of-Age — The protagonist's journey through college and her experiences with family and peers highlight her growth and self-discovery.
Social Commentary — The narrative critiques social class distinctions and the pressures of societal norms on individual aspirations.
Women's Fiction — The story centers on female characters and their relationships, addressing issues relevant to women's experiences in education and society.