The charm of this story by Thomas Mann lies in its relative uneventfulness… no crime, violence, madness or broken hearts! Set in the 1920s, it follows a day in the life of a close, middle-class German family. The major theme is resilience: the struggle of the German people to recover from the social disruption and deprivations of World War I and cope with emerging hyperinflation. Secondary themes are identity, the relationship between history and the present, and the emergence of a more independent youth culture embracing new styles in music, dance, fashion and the arts. More…
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Agkon, the Greedy Son
In this Philippine (Kalingga) folktale, a mother revives a rotting corpse to punish her only son for not sharing a meal. Not only is the punishment rather extreme, but when the poor lad is no more she regrets the decision… not because she loved the boy, but because she is lonely and has nobody else to help around the house. So, off to the river with some of his blood, a few magic words, and presto! He is back, having learned an important lesson about sharing. Unfortunately, there is no punishment for the mother’s cruelty and heartlessness! More…
All the King’s Horses
The major theme of this Cold War allegory from Kurt Vonnegut is the human cost involved in resolving armed conflicts. The focus of the story is the moral dilemma faced by those in ultimate command… the need to put personal feelings aside and make strategic decisions that are likely to result in collateral losses. The story also reflects the dynamics of power in war: how the ordinary soldier, general population, and even vassal powers such as Pi Ying’s rebels, are mere pawns in a “game” beyond their control. Other themes: cruelty, dehumanization, sacrifice, manipulation. More…
You’re Ugly, Too
Lorrie Moore’s protagonist Zoë is a small-town college professor. She is a free-spirited, “almost pretty”, emotionally troubled woman whose efforts to forge relationships without being a “Heidi” have achieved the opposite. Her witty, cynical one-liners have alienated colleagues, students and suitors alike. Central themes are loneliness, the expectations of men, and the role of sex in relationships. An offensive, misogynistic “big city” blind date confirms her misgivings about marriage; a medical scare and consequent thoughts of death bring into focus what she sees as the futility of her life. Other themes: isolation, alienation, appearance, gender roles, mortality, nihilism. More…
The Bloody Chamber
In Angela Carter’s titillating re-telling of Charles Perrault’s Bluebeard, a wealthy, three-times widowed French nobleman marries a seventeen-year-old virtuoso pianist and rushes her away to his secluded castle for a “honeymoon”. When browsing the library, she is shocked to discover his penchant for sadistic pornography. After a passionless consummation that satisfies his desire to have married a virgin, he lays a deadly trap designed to end the marriage. While he is away on business, the woman’s dark newborn curiosity springs the trap, which leads her into his bloody chamber. Themes: manipulation, sexual awakening, depravity, loneliness, curiosity, violence, death. More…