The major theme of this inspirational story by Mulk Raj Anand is class as reflected in the Indian caste system. When a young barber tries to improve his appearance by dressing more professionally, he is verbally abused and humiliated by village elders for acting above his “lowly” position in life. Rather than becoming disillusioned and giving in to their ingrained bigotry, he changes the way he works, makes more money than ever before, and ingeniously turns the tables on his detractors. Other themes: human dignity, alienation, appearance, determination, ingenuity, organized labor. More…
The Snow Child
The main theme of Angela Carter’s Snow Child is feminist gender stereotyping. There are no heroes here. A powerful, dominating and lustful Count humiliates his wife by wishing for a young girl and clothing her in the vain Countess’s furs. His masculinity and dignity are then stripped away as he weeps while defiling the child’s dead body. The usually submissive Countess experiences a moment of power as the Count guiltily hands her the rose that killed the child. This passes when a thorn prick fails to kill her, proving that she lacks the sweet innocence of the snow child. More…
The Homemaker / Gharwali
In this story by Ismat Chughtai, an orphan growing up on the streets learns that her body is her only asset. Alluring and without shame, she is known for providing sex for money, on credit, or as charity. Things change when a friend suggests that a respectable shopkeeper employ her as a housemaid. He refuses because of her reputation, but she is so taken by what she sees after visiting his house that she stays despite his protests and takes over the household. Themes include promiscuity, reputation, hypocrisy, desire, marriage, patriarchy, jealousy, the importance of “belonging”. More…
The Aleph
In a commentary on this story, Jorge Borges explained: “What eternity is to time, the Aleph is to space”. In the story, a fictionalized version of Borges maintains contact with the family of a deceased woman he once loved. He learns that her cousin, an “untalented” poet, is using an Aleph, a point in space that contains all other points, to write an epic poem versifying every place on Earth. Major Themes: the fleeting nature of memory, the limitations of language in describing infinity. Other themes: unrequited love, death, grief, the subjective nature of art. More…
The Extravagant Behavior of the Naked Woman
This very short story from Josefina Estrada appears in several international flash fiction anthologies. Its shock value helps to get across a number of important themes. Some are stated or can readily be implied: the woman is clearly suffering some sort of mental condition, but the community and police do not have access to services or facilities to help her. Other than a few lustful men, it is easier to turn away and pretend she does not exist. A less obvious theme lies in the question: What would happen if it were a wild-looking man walking naked through the streets? More…