This Daphne du Maurier story opens with a British couple dining in Venice. The holiday, through which they hope to rebuild their relationship following the death of their young daughter, takes an eerie turn when a fellow diner claims to be able to “see” the spirit of the dead girl sitting between them, and issues a grim warning that they should leave Venice immediately. When a family emergency calls them back home later that day, they take this as the meaning of the warning. The wife leaves the next morning; the husband never does. Themes: grief, the supernatural, scepticism, suspicion/paranoia. More…
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Teenage Wasteland
This story by Anne Tyler deals with different perspectives on growing up and parenting. Published in 1983, the story pre-dates the influence of modern devices such as PCs, the Internet, mobile phones, and even CD players. After-school entertainment involved TV, listening to music (on radio, vinyl records or cassettes) and neighborhood sport. However, many aspects of teenage life have remained unchanged. These include school and peer pressure, and dealing with parental authority and expectations. Without the right kind of support, young people having trouble dealing with these challenges must feel like life is a wasteland. More…
Greyling
This story from Jane Yolen is about a baby ‘selchie’ (human/seal shapeshifter) that is washed up on a beach and raised by a childless fisherman and his wife. Their lives change fifteen years later when a huge storm destroys their hut and threatens to drown the fisherman at sea. The main theme of the story is selfishness. By ‘imprisoning’ the boy on land in the name of love, the fisherman’s wife prevents him from fulfilling his destiny. Other themes: the power of nature, freedom, the supernatural. The story’s message: true love involves letting go and empowering children to be themselves. More…
The Voice of God / Holy Panchayat
The major theme of this story by Premchand is justice. Two men who have been close friends since childhood fall out when one rules against the other in a dispute over the treatment of an aged aunt at the village Panchayat (council of elders). The roles are later reversed when the aggrieved friend, who still holds a grudge against the other, has to judge a complaint against him about a bullock he sold. Their rift is resolved when he sees that in dispensing justice, one must put personal feelings and friendships aside. Other themes include tradition, friendship, responsibility, impartiality. More…
Mrs. Frola and Mr. Ponza, Her Son-in-Law
In this story by Luigi Pirandello, a respected civil servant rents an apartment for himself and his wife, and another for his mother-in-law. Gossip rages when he doesn’t allow his wife to leave their apartment, or her mother to visit. He explains to a “ladies’ group” that his first wife (the mother-in-law’s daughter) is dead, and he is supporting her mother, who is crazy. The “mother-in-law” later argues that her son-in-law is the crazy one. Readers are left to decide which of the equally plausible stories is true. Themes include gossip vs. the right to privacy, judging by appearances, relativism. More…