Jefferson Bethke

Mark Twain’s 1906 novel “What Is Man?” is a conversation between a young man and an elderly man who has seen too much of the world. It incorporates notions of fate and free choice, as well as psychological egoism.

The stories aren’t ordered, so feel free to skip around. Keep in mind that many of the best stories are at the beginning. In most stories, the heroes prevail and the villains are punished. It sounds stale until you consider who’s excellent and why.

The poem describes the narrative of an Ancient Mariner who uses his crossbow to kill an albatross. After the bird is killed, a strong gale sweeps the ship farther and deeper into the Pacific Ocean.

Simon, a shoemaker without a home or land, lived in a peasant’s hut with his wife and children, earning his livelihood through his labor. Work was cheap, but bread was expensive, and he spent his earnings on food.

Leo Tolstoy wrote “Master and Man” in 1895. Post-reform Russia, when serfdom was abolished and capitalism redefined social life. Realist depiction and psychological narrative convey themes of death, exploitation, societal division, and religious salvation.