The District Doctor

The District Doctor: Short story by Ivan TurgenevThe major themes of this story by Ivan Turgenev are duty, lying, love, death and betrayal. A doctor becomes infatuated with a beautiful 20-year-old patient. As the woman’s condition worsens, he lies to her family about her chances of recovery. On sensing her coming death, the woman tells the doctor she loves him. He replies that he also loves her, accepts her ring, and promises to ask for her mother’s blessing. When the woman confesses their love to her mother, the doctor denies everything and blames her fever. Broken-hearted, she for asks his forgiveness and re-affirms her love before dying.

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Outside

Outside: Short story by Etgar KeretEtgar Keret’s Outside was published in July, 2020, just over six months into the Covid-19 epidemic. Eighteen months later, we are now into our third wave of the disease. The story is a humorous account of the effects of being locked-down at home. The experience so traumatizes the protagonist that, along with thousands of others, he refuses to leave home when things improve. Forced outside by the army, he struggles to remember where to go and what to do. Fortunately, a chance encounter on the way to an ATM triggers a conditioned response that immediately brings him back to normal.

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Seventh Day of the Seventh Moon

Seventh Day of the Seventh Moon: Short story by Ken LiuIn this bittersweet story by Ken Liu, the myth behind China’s annual Qixi Festival comes to life to help two young women in love face a forced separation. On the eve before parting, flocks of magpies magically appear to transport them to the ‘bridge’ upon which the Qixi lovers meet once a year. The message they receive from the mythical couple is that if one loves someone and moves on, their love remains true no matter how many times they fall in love with others. Themes include culture, tradition, change (Westernization/commercialism), love, separation, moving on, sexuality, the supernatural.

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Chivalry

Chivalry: Short story by Neil GaimanThis Neil Gaiman fantasy features a nice old lady with nice friends, who lives in a nice house in a nice neighborhood. She was also living a nice, peaceful life until one day her routine was interrupted by Sir Galahad on a quest to find the Holy Grail. Having recently bought the Grail at an op-shop, the woman refuses Galahad’s offers of the Sword of Invincibility and Apple of (eternal) Life in exchange. Fortunately, the lad finds two other items she thinks would look better on the mantelpiece. Themes include civility and respect, patience, perseverance, and contentment in old age.

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The Fence

The Fence: Short story by Hamsad Rangkuti This story from Hamsad Rangkuti is an allegory of the biblical concept do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Many people are uncomfortable interacting with those who are different or less fortunate. Their solution is to establish social boundaries (fences) that block concerns about them from their lives. The story’s message is two-fold. First, no fence offers complete protection. Second, as exemplified by the vagrant gang, the mere existence of such a fence can bring about the result it is intended to prevent. Themes: (the mother) fear, lack of compassion, selfishness; (the father) kindness, sharing, faith.

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Through the Wilderness

Through the Wilderness: Short story by Dan JacobsonIn this story by Dan Jacobson a nominally Jewish university graduate, whose spiritual emptiness is compared with the vast emptiness of the South African veldt, encounters a black Israelite preacher. To his lay rabbi’s delight, this prompts him to begin a search for religious enlightenment. Unfortunately, the search ends when his bigoted father forbids further communication. The Israelite’s selfless missionary zeal is contrasted with a sheep-stealing native farm hand, who realizes that setting up his own church in a black community can be more profitable than working for a wage. Themes include religion, search for meaning, death, social class, racism.

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Button, Button

Button, Button: Short story by Richard MathesonMajor themes of of Richard Matheson’s Button, Button are greed and morality. A couple argue over whether to press a button in a mysterious box. Doing so will earn them $50,000, but it will also trigger the death of a stranger. One seems OK with it, provided the victim was someone they couldn’t possibly know. The other disagrees, arguing it would still be a form of murder. Their discussion suggests the story may be an allegory. Pressing a button to launch a missile and dealing in commercial quantities of drugs have one thing in common: the victims are all faceless strangers.

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My Friend Luke

My Friend Luke: Short story by Fernando SorrentinoFernando Sorrentino’s diminutive “friend” Luke is a man of extremes. For the most part he is introverted, considerate and submissive. However, but put Luke on a bus and he becomes assertive, rude and manipulative. The catalyst for this changed behaviour is the tolerance of the other bus passengers, built up over years of coping with a crowded public transport system. The story is a metaphor for the desire of all people living subservient, unsatisfying, exploited lives to lash out and assert their individuality. Themes: lack of fulfilment, loneliness, exploitation, frustration, rebellion.

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