The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg, and Other Stories

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Twain, Mark, 1835-1910

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg" by Mark Twain is a satirical novella that fits into the genre of social commentary fiction, likely written in the late 19th century. It revolves around the fictitious town of Hadleyburg, celebrated for its supposed incorruptibility and unblemished honesty, only to have that reputation put to the test when a stranger's malicious plan threatens to expose the hypocrisy lurking beneath its prided façade. The story follows key characters, including Mr. and Mrs. Richards, who find themselves grappling with temptation and moral decline as they become integral to the unfolding drama. The opening of the novella sets the stage by establishing Hadleyburg as a community proud of its virtuous reputation, which has persisted for generations. However, an unexpected encounter with a stranger ignites a series of events leading to the introduction of a sack filled with gold coins, purportedly meant for a good Samaritan who once aided the stranger. Mr. and Mrs. Richards, consumed by the allure of wealth and recognition, become enmeshed in the implications of the strangers' challenge while grappling with their own moral dilemmas. As the town prepares for a public inquiry to identify the anonymous benefactor, the ensuing chaos and revelations begin to peel away the layers of Hadleyburg's pretentious purity, hinting at the broader themes of human nature, pride, and the vulnerability of so-called virtues to greed and corruption. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Contents:

The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg

My First Lie, and How I Got out of it

The Esquimaux Maiden's Romance

Christian Science and The Book of Mrs. Eddy

Is He Living or Is He Dead?

My Debut as a Literary Person

At The Appetite-cure

Concerning The Jews

From The 'London Times' of 1904

About Play-acting

Travelling with a Reformer

Diplomatic Pay and Clothes

Luck

The Captain's Story

Stirring Times in Austria

Meisterschaft

My Boyhood Dreams

To The above Old People

In Memoriam - Olivia Susan Clemens.

Credits:

Gill Jaysmith and David Widger

Notes:

Reading ease score: 78.7 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.

Release date is 2004-09-20