Project Gutenberg 2004-10-24 Public domain in the USA. 422 Howells, William Dean 1837 1920 Howells, W. D. (William Dean) Howells, William D. (William Dean) April Hopes Produced by David Widger and Pat Castevens "April Hopes" by William Dean Howells is a novel written in the late 19th century, during a time when American society was grappling with changes brought on by modernity and shifting social norms. The story centers around Elbridge G. Mavering, a man observing the festive Class Day at Harvard University, where he reflects on the past and meets various characters that embody the complexities of gender dynamics, youth, and social expectations. Through the interactions of Mavering with notable individuals, such as Mrs. Pasmer and her daughter Alice, the narrative explores themes of social acceptance, romance, and the differences in societal roles between men and women. At the start of the novel, the lively atmosphere of the Class Day is vividly set in the Hemenway Gymnasium, filled with young couples enjoying the celebrations. Mavering, having been introduced to Mrs. Pasmer, finds himself in discussions about the changing roles of women and men's expectations in society. Their dialogue reflects the evolving views on chivalry and attention that young women supposedly receive from men in contemporary society. As Mavering grapples with these ideas, he observes a younger generation of students and their accompanying social practices, hinting at the generational transitions in values and behaviors. The opening establishes a rich social tapestry, setting the stage for deeper explorations of character relationships and the implications of society's rapid transformations. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 80.9 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Love stories Courtship -- Fiction Boston (Mass.) -- Fiction PS Text Category: Romance Category: Novels Category: American Literature 796497 2025-08-02T07:35:33.641956 text/html 836694 2021-01-27T08:40:41 text/html 335844 2025-08-02T07:35:42.817897 application/epub+zip 348238 2025-08-02T07:35:35.708968 application/epub+zip 348240 2025-08-02T07:35:34.444923 application/epub+zip 610913 2025-08-02T07:35:48.633894 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 560230 2025-08-02T07:35:41.947908 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 525113 2022-09-02T09:54:09.525803 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 679568 2025-08-02T07:35:32.017026 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 679535 2021-01-08T19:40:06 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 19224 2025-08-02T07:35:48.781866 application/rdf+xml 11802 2025-08-02T07:35:34.952940 image/jpeg 3197 2025-08-02T07:35:34.696941 image/jpeg 248596 2021-01-08T19:40:06 application/octet-stream application/zip 261894 2021-01-27T08:40:41 application/octet-stream application/zip 323445 2025-08-02T07:35:33.696973 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