Two Little Confederates

Page, Thomas Nelson, 1853-1922Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 179K words
Chapters: 18

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.Two Little Confederates by Thomas Nelson PageAuthor: Page, Thomas Nelson, 1853-1922,Language: English, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Sep 29, 2008

Editor's review

Two Little Confederates is a juvenile literature work by Thomas Nelson Page set in the American South, available as a free eBook from Project Gutenberg. The story revolves around two young boys, presenting through their eyes a picture of life in the wartime South, combining adventure with themes of growing up. Page's narration bears distinct marks of its era; the language is plain and the plot moves at a pace suited to young readers. As a public-domain eBook, it is easy to obtain on various devices and serves as an introductory read for understanding nineteenth-century American Southern children's literature. When reading, note how the author handles childhood experience against the backdrop of war and the narrator's attitude toward history. For readers studying Southern American literature or the history of children's literature, this book offers a comparable textual sample. Note that some views in the book carry the limitations of its time; it is advisable to examine them in historical context rather than accepting the narrative's value judgments directly.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in nineteenth-century American Southern history and children's literature
Intermediate and advanced English learners needing public-domain English texts for reading practice
Literature students studying the Southern American narrative tradition
General readers wishing to learn about Project Gutenberg's public-domain resources

Not a good fit for

Young readers who prefer contemporary fast-paced narratives and are unfamiliar with historical background
Readers who need a Chinese translation and are unwilling to read the English original
Readers unwilling to critically examine war and racial issues

Reading tips

Read the story through first, then revisit the narrative stance alongside background materials on Southern society during the American Civil War.
While reading, mark the narrator's descriptions of the two boys' psychology and behavior, and observe how the coming-of-age theme unfolds.
Read in comparison with other Southern children's literature of the same period to compare differences in narrative perspective.
For the English original, read with a dictionary or annotated edition, noting dialect and period expressions.

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

Is this book suitable for English beginners?

Not really. The book contains nineteenth-century American Southern expressions and dialect, and the narrative background requires some historical knowledge. Intermediate and advanced English learners can manage with a dictionary, but beginners will likely struggle with vocabulary and cultural context.

Do I need to know about the American Civil War beforehand?

A basic understanding is recommended. The story takes place in the wartime South, and characters' behavior and the narrative tone are shaped by this background. Knowing the basics of Southern society during the Civil War helps understand the plot logic and more clearly identify the book's stance and period limitations.

Is this book in Chinese or English?

According to the information, the book is published by Project Gutenberg in English. Readers obtain the English electronic text; no information indicates a companion Chinese translation, so some English reading ability is required.

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About the author

Page, Thomas Nelson, 1853-1922 Author

Thomas Nelson Page (1853–1922) was an American writer. Public information about the details of his life is limited, but the twenty-four works by him held in this collection give a clear sense of his writing. His work is rooted in the American South: the novel Red Rock: A Chronicle of Reconstruction confronts the social changes that followed the Civil War, and Gordon Keith likewise unfolds Southern manners and the upheavals of the era. Short works such as The Burial of the Guns and The Spectre in the Cart often deal with memories of war, rural legends, and stories with a touch of mystery. Page's writing is often nostalgic, attentive to local scenery and human temperament, and his works are an important sample for understanding the literary tastes of the late nineteenth-century American South.