The Crucial Moment by Charles Egbert Craddock
"The Crucial Moment" by Charles Egbert Craddock is a dramatic novella written in the early 20th century. The story unfolds in the context of a rural Southern community threatened by rising waters from the Mississippi River, exploring themes of conflict, vengeance, and the weight of a single fateful moment. The narrative follows the character Walter Hoxer, a levee contractor whose life spirals into chaos after an explosive confrontation with a wealthy landowner,Major Jeffrey. The plot centers on Hoxer, who seeks to defend his reputation and integrity after Major Jeffrey publicly accuses him of cutting corners in his levee construction. Tensions escalate into a violent encounter where Hoxer, feeling cornered, is compelled to shoot Jeffrey in self-defense. Following this fateful moment, Hoxer becomes a fugitive, evading the law while grappling with the moral implications of his actions. The story culminates in a desperate escape that ultimately leads to Hoxer's tragic demise in the river, leaving behind his loyal dog, whose devotion symbolically highlights Hoxer's lost humanity in the face of irrevocable choices. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Craddock, Charles Egbert, 1850-1922 |
|---|---|
| Title | The Crucial Moment 1911 |
| Note | Reading ease score: 63.0 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. |
| Credits | Produced by David Widger |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Mississippi River -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 23557 |
| Release Date | Nov 19, 2007 |
| Most Recently Updated | Feb 24, 2021 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 126 downloads in the last 30 days. |
| Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free! | |
