Brother Jacob

First published in 1860, „Brother Jacob” is a short story about deception, imperial venture, and self-interest by George Eliot in which she explores the relationship between the selfish, self-centered, and ambitious David Faux and his simple-hearted and naif brother, Jacob. It is Eliot’s literary homage to Thackeray, a satirical modern fable that draws telling parallels between eating and reading.