Project Gutenberg 2007-12-26 Public domain in the USA. 279 Gibbon, Perceval 1879 1926 Those Who Smiled, and Eleven Other Stories Those who smiled -- The Dago -- Wood-ladies -- A man before the mast -- The girl -- The breadwinner -- "Plain German" -- Alms and the man -- The darkened path -- Miss Pilgrim's progress -- The connoisseur -- The day of omens. E-text prepared by Charles Klingman "Those Who Smiled" by Perceval Gibbon is a collection of short stories written in the early 20th century. The opening story introduces complex themes of war, morality, and human emotion, depicting the interactions of two military officers—Captain Hahn, a robust German captain epitomizing authority and control, and Lieutenant Jovannic, a more introspective young Austrian officer. As they observe the arrest of a forced-laborer, the story explores the juxtaposition of brute force and the tragic, silent resistance of those subjected to violence. The beginning of "Those Who Smiled" sets the stage with Captain Hahn and Lieutenant Jovannic as they prepare to capture a deserter from a forced labor camp. They observe a scene charged with tension as the villagers react to the violent arrest. Gibbon delves into the detached mindset of Captain Hahn, who prides himself on systematic control over the situation, whereas Jovannic’s discomfort grows as he witnesses the prisoner’s calm acceptance of fate and the villagers' oddly tranquil smiles, which suggest a deeper gravitas to their suffering. Through this opening, Gibbon hints at themes of complicity, the moral weight of authority, and the unfathomable depths of human resilience in the face of tyranny. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 81.3 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Fiction Short stories PR Text Category: Short Stories 555186 2025-10-10T05:46:10.102162 text/html 555007 2025-01-10T05:59:24.795892 text/html 291524 2025-10-10T05:46:18.949093 application/epub+zip 299506 2025-10-10T05:46:13.235121 application/epub+zip 280164 2025-10-10T05:46:12.065108 application/epub+zip 552819 2025-10-10T05:46:23.164550 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 525803 2025-10-10T05:46:18.175071 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 494429 2022-09-11T07:58:06.978844 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 503464 2025-10-10T05:46:09.661176 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 503257 2007-12-26T11:59:06 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 17344 2025-10-10T05:46:23.289536 application/rdf+xml 17673 2025-10-10T05:46:12.555086 image/jpeg 3823 2025-10-10T05:46:12.307123 image/jpeg 195182 2007-12-26T11:59:07 application/octet-stream application/zip 287153 2025-10-10T05:46:10.144103 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia