The Happy Clown by Alice Eleanor Jones

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About this eBook

Author Jones, Alice Eleanor, 1916-1981
Illustrator Freas, Kelly, 1922-2005
Title The Happy Clown
Note Reading ease score: 72.6 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
Credits Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Summary "The Happy Clown" by Alice Eleanor Jones is a science fiction novella written in the mid-20th century. The narrative unfolds in a future society characterized by enforced conformity and societal perfection, exploring themes of individuality and nonconformity through the life of a young boy named Steven Russell, who struggles against the pressures of a homogenized world. Throughout the story, Steven, born a nonconformist in a society that prioritizes uniformity, faces numerous challenges stemming from his discontent with the artificial perfection surrounding him. As he grows up, his peculiarities lead his parents to seek help from a clinic, where his brilliance is recognized but ultimately pressured into conformity through a procedure known as "Steyner." This leads Steven into a successful career as the Happy Clown, a television persona that epitomizes the very ideals he despises. Despite achieving societal approval, he grapples with feelings of loneliness and a loss of identity, especially after a traumatic experience surrounding the woman he loves, Denise. The story culminates in his resignation from the acting world and a return to a more ordinary life, revealing both the price of conformity and the lingering desire for authentic connections. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Language English
LoC Class PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature
Subject Science fiction
Subject Short stories
Subject Psychological fiction
Subject Conformity -- Fiction
Category Text
EBook-No. 59418
Release Date
Copyright Status Public domain in the USA.
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