Mother by Owen Wister (1907)
Mother is a novel by Owen Wister, first published in 1912. It tells the story of a young woman, Mary, who is forced to leave her home in the rural South and move to the city of Philadelphia. There, she struggles to make a living and raise her son, while also dealing with the harsh realities of life in the city. The novel follows Mary as she navigates the challenges of being a single mother in a new city. She is determined to make a better life for herself and her son, but she is also faced with the harsh realities of poverty and the struggles of being a woman in a male-dominated society. Along the way, she meets a variety of characters, from a kindly old woman to a wealthy businessman, and learns valuable lessons about life and love. Ultimately, Mary is able to find a way to make a better life for herself and her son, and the novel ends on a hopeful note. Mother is a powerful story of resilience and determination in the face of adversity.
By Owen Wister · First published 1907 · Genre: Family Drama, Historical Fiction, Western · 9,083 words
First lines
When handsome young Richard Field -- he was very handsome and very young -- announced to our assembled company that if his turn should really come to tell us a story, the story should be no invention of his fancy, but a page of truth, a chapter from his own life, in which himself was the hero and a lovely, innocent girl was the heroine, his wife at once looked extremely uncomfortable. She changed the reclining position in which she had been leaning back in her chair, and she sat erect, with a hand closed upon each arm of the chair.
"Richard," she said, "do you think that it is right of you to tell any one, even friends, anything that you have never yet confessed to me?"
What this Textopian page supports
Mother is listed on Textopian as a novel by Owen Wister, dated 1907 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Owen Wister
- Date: 1907 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Family Drama, Historical Fiction, Western, Realistic Fiction
- Length: 9,083 words
- Structure: 1 section, 201 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Mother by Owen Wister
- 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 Mother?
- How does this novel by Owen Wister fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Family Drama first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Family Drama — The book follows the story of a mother and her children, and the struggles they face in their family life.
- Historical Fiction — The book is set in the late 19th century and follows the lives of a family living in the American West.
- Western — The book is set in the American West and follows the lives of a family living in the region.
- Realistic Fiction — The book follows the story of a family living in the American West and the struggles they face in their everyday lives.
Tags
Fiction · Investments · Storytelling · beverly · beverly's · called · cent · circumstances · continued · davenport · day · days