Seeing the Elephant

Baker, George M. (George Melville), 1832-1890Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 39K words
Chapters: 4

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Seeing the Elephant by George M. BakerAuthor: Baker, George M. (George Melville), 1832-1890,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jun 25, 2015

Editor's review

Seeing the Elephant is a play by the American writer George M. Baker, released by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain electronic text. Baker was active in nineteenth-century American popular theater and amateur stage circles, and his works were mostly aimed at family reading and community performance. Written in English, the book is short and strongly dialogue-driven, with the exaggeration and humor typical of the melodrama of its time. In nineteenth-century American English, "seeing the elephant" often meant experiencing something novel or perilous, and the title itself signals the work's light comic tone. For readers studying nineteenth-century American popular drama, amateur performance culture, or the language of English drama, this is a usable primary text. The electronic edition has no modern annotations, so readers must supply the historical context themselves. It is better suited as light reading for theater enthusiasts or as supplementary material for English literature courses than as a first-choice script for contemporary stage production.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in nineteenth-century American popular theater and amateur performance culture
Organizers who need a short English play text for classroom reading or community performance
English learners who want to learn nineteenth-century American colloquial speech through a play
Readers who collect public-domain drama texts and follow Project Gutenberg resources

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting contemporary dramatic structure or profound social themes
Researchers who need detailed historical annotations and production background
General fiction readers uninterested in the exaggerated melodramatic style of the nineteenth century

Reading tips

Begin with the cast of characters and scene descriptions, then read aloud by role to feel the rhythm of the dialogue and the comic effect.
While reading, watch for how the idiom "seeing the elephant" echoes through the plot and understand the title's metaphorical use.
Combine the text with background material on nineteenth-century American amateur theater and community performance to understand its performance setting.
If used in class, choose one or two scenes for role reading, then discuss the social attitudes behind the characters' exaggerated words and actions.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What does the title "Seeing the Elephant" mean?

In nineteenth-century American English, "seeing the elephant" often meant experiencing something novel, perilous, or eye-opening, with a teasing tone. The title borrows this idiom to suggest that the plot revolves around some novel experience or conflict; its specific meaning depends on what the characters go through in the play.

Is this book a novel or a play?

It is a play, made up of character dialogue and stage directions, suited to reading aloud or performance rather than continuous narrative fiction. When reading, pay attention to scene divisions, entrances and exits, and the rhythm of dialogue, as these are key to understanding the structure of a play.

Can I read it without a background in drama?

Yes. The play is short and mostly dialogue, so general readers can follow the plot by reading the scenes in order. For a deeper understanding, first learn about the exaggerated style of nineteenth-century American melodrama and amateur performance conventions, which will make the characters' words and actions clearer as you read.

Does this edition have annotations or an introduction?

Project Gutenberg editions usually provide the public-domain original text and generally contain no modern scholarly annotations or introduction. Readers who need historical background can consult material on nineteenth-century American theater and the idiom "seeing the elephant" themselves, or use the text alongside English literature course materials.

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About the author

Baker, George M. (George Melville), 1832-1890 Author

George Melville Baker (1832–1890) was an American playwright best known for his one-act farces and short stage pieces. Public information about his life and nationality is limited, and surviving accounts focus mainly on his plays themselves. The eighteen works held here lean toward light, humorous stage sketches: Gentlemen of the Jury, Poison, and A Mysterious Disappearance are all labeled farces, relying on misunderstanding, coincidence, and exaggerated characters for comic effect, and are suited to amateur companies and home performance. He also wrote three-act melodrama such as Nevada or, The Lost Mine, along with seasonal and children's pieces like Summer Days and The Merry Christmas of the Old Woman who Lived in a Shoe. His work balances entertainment with practical stageability, in plain language and compact structure, and is representative of nineteenth-century American popular drama publishing.