Juvenile Delinquent by Edward W. Ludwig
"Juvenile Delinquent" by Edward W. Ludwig is a science fiction short story written in the mid-20th century. The narrative unfolds in a dystopian future, specifically in the year 2056, where the act of reading is heavily restricted and viewed as a subversive activity. The book explores the themes of conformity, rebellion, and the value of knowledge in a society that discourages independent thought and literacy. The story centers around an eight-year-old boy
named Ronnie, who discovers a love for reading through his friendship with a boy named Kenny Davis. Ronnie's father, a government employee, becomes furious when he learns of his son's secret reading lessons, as literacy is seen as a path to potential disobedience against the state's oppressive norms. The father's struggle with his wife's hidden past as a reader and their subsequent conflict leads to severe consequences for Ronnie. Ultimately, the family is torn apart by the father's harsh beliefs about reading, showcasing the dangers of a society that prioritizes secrecy and obedience over curiosity and intellectual freedom. The story serves as a poignant critique of authoritarianism and the suppression of knowledge. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Ludwig, Edward W., 1920-1990 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Emshwiller, Ed, 1925-1990 |
| Title | Juvenile Delinquent |
| Series Title | Produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, October 1955 |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 87.3 (6th grade). Easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Boys -- Fiction |
| Subject | Literacy -- Fiction |
| Subject | Families -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 59368 |
| Release Date | Apr 26, 2019 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 262 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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