In this story by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson two friends fall out over a proposal to sell the public grain magazine and establish a community savings bank. The decision (to sell the magazine) brings prosperity to all. Years later, as many in the parish face financial ruin due to speculation, the two clash again over a proposal to allow a new railway to pass through the town. Although the railway will increase land values, the only route possible includes part of an old, disused cemetery. This leads to a fiery ending. Themes include friendship, tradition vs. progress, conflicts of interest, desperation, community. More…
All posts by shortsonline
A Municipal Report
O. Henry wrote over 600 short stories, of which some critics consider this to be one of the best. The plot involves what happens between the unnamed narrator, three main characters, and a torn dollar bill that keeps coming back to its original owner. The characters: Azalea Adair, a self-educated, gentle lady of the old South; Major Caswell, a cruel husband who treats her badly; and Uncle Caesar, a kind African-American man with a royal bearing who tries to help Azalea. Themes include: pretense, pride, change, domestic violence, loyalty, self-learning and the power of imagination. More…
The Snake and the Mirror
On the surface, this story by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer is a humorous tale about a tense encounter between a young doctor and a cobra that becomes taken with its own beauty. Looking more deeply, it is unclear which “snake” the title refers to. The doctor is a vain, devious man who fusses over his appearance and plans to marry a wealthy, fat woman doctor who won’t cause problems if he makes some silly mistake (i.e. cheats on her). He turns to God when in trouble, but quickly forgets Him when it passes. Themes include vanity, fear, the transience of life. More…
Journey into a Dark Heart
In this story by Peter Høeg, a naïve young mathematician becomes disillusioned at the impossibility of reducing all things (including humanity) to a set of equations. He gives up his academic career, joins a Danish trading company, and finds himself in Africa mixing with royalty at the opening of a new railroad. During the inaugural train journey, he discusses European notions of colonial Africa with three fellow passengers. He later learns that one is a rebel leader, another a gunrunner, and a bridge ahead has been sabotaged. Themes: colonialism, race and racism, war/rebellion, honesty, idealism vs. reality, despair. More…
The Jilting of Granny Weatherall
This story from Katherine Porter describes the disoriented thoughts and recollections of a feisty eighty-year-old (Granny Weatherall) as she lies dying in the house of one of her daughters. Satisfied with her life, she awaits a sign from God to say that her time has come. In her last moments, she likens the absence of such a sign to being left standing at the altar sixty earlier. Major themes are perseverance, motherhood and faith. Other themes: aging and death, loss (over the death of husband John and daughter Hapsy), betrayal and repressed anger (over being jilted by George). More…