This is the first of Angela Carter’s well-known “wolf tales” series. Although the beginning resembles the Red Riding Hood children’s story, things soon take a very different turn. A wolf loses a paw, grandma is missing a hand, and the villagers show their bravery by beating the poor woman to death. What I particularly like is the way that Carter uses foreshadowing and omissions in the story-line to leave readers with a question: Was the grandmother really a witch/were-woman, or was the “good child” one of those northern country people with a cold heart mentioned in the opening sentence? More…
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Master Jacob
The story by Howard Pyle is similar to the “trickster” narratives found in many folktales. Three greedy community leaders (a priest, a provost, and the town mayor) decide to trick an unsuspecting farmer out of a fat pig (or is it a dog?) he is taking to market. Later, the sly farmer turns the tables with three tricks of his own. For his last trick, he tells them the truth! The tricksters woe their foolishness at the bottom of a deep pit, and the farmer ends up with a lot of their money. Themes: greed, cleverness, revenge, distrust. More…
Killings
At a simplistic level this provocative story by Andre Dubus suggests that, given the right circumstances, almost anyone could become a cold-blooded killer. On one hand we have Strout (aggressive, violent and possibly psychologically disturbed); on the other, Matt (a peaceful, model citizen). Matt’s wife suffers untold emotional pain as she regularly encounters Strout (their son’s murderer) while he walks around town on bail. Rather than wait for the trial, Matt and his redneck friend Willis make elaborate plans for a killing of their own. Themes: love/marriage, murder, grief, justice, revenge, morality. More…
A Father-To-Be
In this playful story by Saul Bellow, a successful scientist in an illuminated state of mind makes his way to have dinner with his fiancée. As he contemplates fellow passengers on the subway, he is shocked to notice the resemblance between his future wife and the “flat-looking dandy of respectability” sitting next to him. He begins to wonder what her children will look like, and is so disturbed by the thought he decides to end the relationship. Fortunately, her soothing hands erase the memory. Themes include “duty”, financial stress, pride, self-discovery, appearance, heredity, self-delusion, submissiveness. More…
Separating
Marriage break-ups, especially where children are involved, can be stressful for all concerned. John Updike’s Separating is written from a self-absorbed husband/father’s point of view. Ironically, despite Richard’s inferred infidelity, Updike reverses traditional gender roles by painting him as the weepy, emotional victim and his wife Joan as the heartless, unforgiving partner pushing for separation. The children demonstrate varying levels of understanding and acceptance. Older son Dickie’s “romantic” kiss highlights the confusion among them, and Richard’s shallowness finally shows through in his inability to answer Dickie’s obvious question. Themes: family, marriage, separation, anguish, guilt, confusion, regret. More…