Rus in Urbe by Thomas Anstey Guthrie
The novel explores the contrast between rural and urban life through the story of a young woman who leaves her countryside home to work as a servant in a wealthy household in the city. The narrative delves into themes of social class, identity, and morality as the protagonist navigates her new surroundings and confronts the harsh realities of urban poverty.
By Thomas Anstey Guthrie · First published 1849 · Genre: Comedy, Social Commentary, Drama · 1,401 words
First lines
_A railed-in corner of the Park. TIME -- About 7 p.m. Inside the enclosure three shepherds are engaged in shearing the park sheep. The first shepherd has just thrown his patient on its back, gripped its shoulders between his knees, and tucked its head, as a tiresome and obstructive excrescence, neatly away under one of his arms, while he reaches for the shears. The second is straddled across his animal, which is lying with its hind legs hobbled on a low stage under an elm, in a state of stoical resignation, as its fleece is deftly nipped from under its chin. The third operator has almost finished his sheep, which, as its dark grey fleece slips away from its pink-and-white neck and shoulders, suggests a rather decolletee dowager in the act of removing her theatre-cloak in the stalls. Sheep, already shorn, lie and pant in shame and shivering bewilderment, one or two nibble the blades of grass, as if to assure themselves that that resource is still open to them.
What this Textopian page supports
Rus in Urbe is listed on Textopian as a short story by Thomas Anstey Guthrie, dated 1849 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Thomas Anstey Guthrie
- Date: 1849 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Comedy, Social Commentary, Drama, Satire, Farce
- Length: 1,401 words
- Structure: 1 section, 38 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Rus in Urbe by Thomas Anstey Guthrie
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Rus in Urbe?
- How does this short story by Thomas Anstey Guthrie fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Comedy first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Comedy — The book employs humor and satire to explore social themes and character interactions.
- Social Commentary — It critiques societal norms and behaviors through the lens of rural life juxtaposed with urban settings.
- Drama — The interactions among characters reveal emotional and social conflicts typical of dramatic literature.
- Satire — The work satirizes both rural and urban life, highlighting absurdities in human behavior.
Tags
Satire · Humor · Social commentary · Victorian era · London life · Clergy · Religion · Church of England · Parody · Irony · Wit · Urban life