Breaking Away; or, The Fortunes of a Student

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Optic, Oliver, 1822-1897

Contributor:

Kilburn, Samuel Smith, 1831-1903

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"Breaking Away; or, The Fortunes of a Student" by Oliver Optic is a novel written in the mid-19th century. The story centers around Ernest Thornton, a fourteen-year-old student who grapples with the challenges of school discipline, social dynamics, and a longing for family connections. Through his experiences, readers are introduced to themes of rebellion against authority, the struggles of the underdog, and the quest for personal integrity. At the start of the narrative, Ernest is summoned by the strict principal, Mr. Parasyte, accused of fighting with a popular student, William Poodles. As the events unfold, it becomes clear that the school environment is rife with favoritism and injustice, with Poodles enjoying the privilege of being the principal's pet. The opening portion sets the stage for Ernest's inner conflict as he faces expulsion for defending himself, leading to a rebellion among his peers who stand against the tyranny of their schoolmaster. As tensions rise, it becomes evident that Ernest values truth and loyalty, and the groundwork is laid for a confrontation between student solidarity and oppressive authority. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by David Edwards, Emmy and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from scans of public domain material produced by Microsoft for their Live Search Books site.)

Notes:

Reading ease score: 80.6 (6th grade). Easy to read.

Release date is 2007-08-29