In this story by Stephen King, a serial killer stalks women in a small college community. The murders, which always take place at night, become increasingly vicious. Set in a rare false (strawberry) spring, thick fog provides perfect cover for the killer. Panic sets in as students realize the killer could be anyone on campus. When the weather breaks, the murders stop. Eight years later, during the next strawberry spring, they begin anew and, in a memorable twist, the narrator thinks he knows the identity of the killer. Themes include violence, fear, rumor and paranoia, confusion, memory, dissociation. More…
After Twenty Years
This story by O. Henry shows how keeping a promise to a friend can sometimes have adverse consequences. Two boyhood friends lose touch after one of them decided to “go West” to make his fortune. When he left, the two made a solemn promise to meet again outside their favorite New York restaurant in twenty years. Both kept the promise, and it is likely that after the meeting both regretted the way it went. Themes include friendship, honor (keeping one’s word), loyalty vs. duty, time and change, crime and justice. More…
A Chip of Glass Ruby
Some people see this Nadine Gordimer story as primarily an anti-apartheid tale. For me, the main theme is exemplified in Yusuf’s “aha moment” when he finally understands why his wife is not like the others. Gordimer shows apartheid for what it is by contrasting those behind it with an extra-ordinary, ordinary woman who doesn’t want anybody to be left out (people without somewhere to live, hungry kids, boys who can’t get educated) and cares enough to put herself at risk by doing something about it. The absence of a denouement in the story suggests that her fight isn’t yet over. More…
Festival of Eid / Idgah
In this well-known Indian children’s story from Premchand, a young orphan foregoes the pleasures enjoyed by friends at a festival to buy a pair of tongs to prevent his poverty-stricken grandmother from burning her hands when cooking. The most obvious themes are related to the boy: poverty, innocence, hope, love, selflessness, temptation and willpower. However, at around 5,000 words, the story also highlights several additional issues. The boy’s friends display materialism and greed, while other themes include religious devotion, superstition (Jinns), village vs. city life and, through the fate of the dolls, the fall of British colonialism. More…
The Voter
This story by Chinua Achebe uses irony to highlight vote-buying in Nigerian village elections. A sitting politician’s wealth and lifestyle have improved dramatically since being elected. To retain his place at the trough, he appoints a group of canvassers to bribe influential villagers. His most trusted canvasser faces a dilemma, He is offered an unheard-of bribe to vote for the opposition, provided he swears on a talisman that will bring ill-fortune if he doesn’t do so. He takes the money, and creatively finds a way to avoid being disloyal to either party. Themes include corruption, politics, vote-buying, superstition, loyalty. More…