This story by Virginia Woolf reflects the period in which the moral decadence of British aristocracy led to its loss of respect among the people and the rising influence of newly rich commoners. It also shows how both groups could be equally ruthless in achieving their goals. The Duchess represents the aristocracy, corruptly trying to sell a fake set of pearls by taking advantage of the Jeweller’s interest in her daughter. The Jeweller represents the newly rich, craving social acceptance and willing to waste £20,000 buying fake pearls to achieve it. Themes include greed, vanity, social class, appearance, deception, racism. More…
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The Ambitious Guest
Based on a true event, this Nathaniel Hawthorne story illustrates the power of nature and the futility of man in trying to best it. A young man stops at an inn high on a mountain pass and boasts to the family inside about his ambition to do something great to be remembered by. Above the inn are towering mountains from which rocks and boulders are frequently dislodged. The family have built a safe house nearby in the event of an avalanche, but when the ‘slide’ comes, nature wins. Other themes include hubris, ambition, contentment, connection, fate. More…
Civil Peace
On the surface, Chinua Achebe’s Civil Peace appears to be a light-hearted take on the challenges faced by a family in the aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War. In reality, it deals with the much darker themes of corruption, devastation and lawlessness, as well as the positive themes of being thankful for what you have, finding opportunity in adversity, hard work, family unity, and the resilience of the human spirit in times of extreme difficulty. Another theme, common in the third-world and reflected in the frequently repeated Nothing puzzels God!, is that everything that happens is part of God’s plan. More…
Look at All Those Roses
In this story by Elizabeth Bowen, car trouble on a deserted country road results in a woman spending several unsettling hours with an amazon of a woman and her seemingly psychic, paralyzed daughter. Her partner has walked to a nearby village to get help, and she becomes increasingly anxious. She falls asleep, and is in the middle of a disturbing dream when her partner returns in a taxi and rudely whisks her away. While in the village, he had heard a frightening rumor about the family. Themes include isolation and alienation, insecurity, emptiness, alternative reality (the white circle), rumor. More…
Metamorphosis
In this enigmatic story from Franz Kafka, a man who works hard as a traveling salesman to support his parents and younger sister wakes up one morning having metamorphosed into a giant bug. The father brutally confines the man/bug to his room, and for a period he/it is treated with consideration and compassion by the mother and daughter. However, as the family struggles to deal with their new financial situation, he/it gets less and less attention and ultimately suffers a rather cruel end. Themes include family, identity, self-sacrifice, alienation, transformation, isolation, betrayal, and the absurdity of life. More…