Dream Life and Real Life: A Little African Story: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
Dream Life and Real Life: A Little African Story: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
Dream Life and Real Life: A Little African Story is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Schreiner, Olive (1855–1920).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"Dream Life and Real Life: A Little African Story" by Olive Schreiner is a short story written in the late 19th century, reflecting Schreiner's keen insights into human emotion and the complexities of life. The book blends elements of realism and allegory, passionately addressing the struggles, dreams, and harsh realities faced by individuals, particularly through the experiences of children in a South African setting. At its core, the narrative examines themes of freedom, identity, and compassion against a backdrop of poverty and longing. The story follows little Jannita, a poor indentured child, who is tasked with herding goats in the arid Karoo landscape. As she dreams of a happier life filled with love and beauty, her reality quickly becomes grim when she realizes one of her goats is missing. In her flight from the oppressive reality of her life, she follows a springbuck into the wilderness, seeking freedom and solace in nature. Throughout her journey, she encounters various figures that symbolize the harsh circumstances of her existence, including the sad truths of loss and betrayal. Ultimately, the tale contrasts the beauty of childhood dreams with the starkness of reality, illustrating the resilience of the human spirit even in grim circumstances as Jannita grapples with her fate and strives for a sense of autonomy amidst a world of confinement.
Book and edition facts
- Title: Dream Life and Real Life: A Little African Story
- Author credits: Schreiner, Olive (1855–1920)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Fiction
- Short stories
Gutenberg collections
- Africa
- Category: Short Stories
Read this edition
View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.
Sources
More in Books & Authors
Keep reading
