Confessions of a Conceited Man
The story follows a young man who is excessively self-assured and conceited, believing himself to be indispensable in his role as an assistant bookkeeper for a Boston merchant. Despite his low salary, he is convinced of his own worth and imagines himself as the true backbone of the business. His ambition extends to marrying his employer's daughter, Rosabel, whom he has never properly met but considers his destined wife due to her beauty and wealth. He attends a high-society ball, believing his appearance and charm will win Rosabel over. However, his advances are met with disdain, and she rejects him harshly, calling him an "impudent puppy." Undeterred, he rationalizes her rejection as a misunderstanding of his worth. The next day, his employer warns him to stay away from Rosabel, but the protagonist remains confident that the business cannot function without him. Eventually, he decides to ask for a raise, which his employer refuses, leading to his dismissal. Convinced that the business will fail without him, he leaves, only to find that it continues to operate successfully. Turning to literature, he plans to revolutionize the field with his unique style, convinced of his inevitable success despite his previous failures. The narrative highlights his persistent delusions of grandeur and inability to recognize his own limitations.
By Oliver Optic · First published 1854 · Genre: Satire, Comedy, Autobiographical Fiction · 2,926 words
First lines
When I was a boy, the schoolmaster succeeded in impressing upon my mind the truth of that common saying -- "If a man thinks nothing of himself, no one will think any thing of him. " The pedagogue believed it himself, and his daily deportment was based upon it. Whether I learned any thing else of him I cannot now say; but I am sure I learned to set a high value upon myself.
What this Textopian page supports
Confessions of a Conceited Man is listed on Textopian as a short story by Oliver Optic, dated 1854 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Oliver Optic
- Date: 1854 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Satire, Comedy, Autobiographical Fiction, Social Commentary, Romance
- Length: 2,926 words
- Structure: 1 section, 46 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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- Work identity for Confessions of a Conceited Man by Oliver Optic
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Confessions of a Conceited Man?
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- Where does Satire first become important in the reading?
Genres
- Satire — The narrative mocks social pretensions and human vanity through exaggerated self-importance and ironic humor.
- Comedy — The humorous and self-deprecating tone, along with absurd situations, emphasize a comedic treatment of the protagonist’s misadventures.
- Autobiographical Fiction — The work employs a first-person narrative that presents a fictionalized account of personal exploits and ambitions.
- Social Commentary — Through witty observations and ironic critiques, the text comments on societal classes, commercial practices, and gender relations.
Tags
fictional · humorous · satirical · coming-of-age · confessional · self-discovery · adolescent · witty · ironic · social commentary · introspective · narrative