On the surface, Doris Lessing’s protagonist had a perfect life. “Happily” married, financially secure, big house, healthy well-adjusted children, home help; what more could a woman want? The story is a product of its time (the early 1960s). Susan’s anguish about losing her independence and lack of fulfillment in life leads to depression, mental decline, and temporary escape from her demons in Room 19 of a seedy hotel. Too afraid of being ridiculed to confide in her husband and ask for help, she sees only one way out. Themes include loss of autonomy/identity, unsatisfying marriage, depression, communication breakdown, isolation, suicide. More…
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Four O’clock
This is the one notable short story from award-winning journalist Price Day. A seemingly ordinary man has been given a series of “special powers” that could benefit mankind. He is too slow in using the first two (the power to ground war planes and prevent road accidents), and is determined not to do the same with the third: the ability to change evil people all over the world in a way that makes them easily identifiable. When he tries to do this, things don’t go according to plan. Themes: moral superiority, tempting fate (be careful what you wish for!), karma. More…
The Woman Who Came at Six O’Clock
The central theme of this early Gabriel Garcia Márquez story is perception of others. ‘Queen’, the six o’clock regular in José’s restaurant, is a prostitute. Queen’s customers see her as a sex object, to be used and sometimes abused. The police see her as an alcoholic miscreant who cannot be trusted. José, who professes platonic love for Queen, sees the vulnerable human being within. Queen, who claims to be disgusted by all men, sees the caring, kind-hearted José only as someone to be taken advantage of. Other themes: habit, murder, naïveté vs. worldliness, misunderstanding, reputation. More…
Lob’s Girl
The major themes of this story by Joan Aiken are love, loyalty, family values, death and the supernatural. The moment Lob saw five-year-old Sandy on the beach, it was love at first sight. Lob is a dog: a large, bouncy German Shepherd with “a yard of tongue” that he puts to good use smothering Sandy with affection. As with many girl/boy and dog stories, Lob must overcome several difficulties (in this case by walking the length of England twice!) before joining Sandy’s family. A touching aspect of the story is that Lob’s love is so strong that it transcends death. More…
The Love Potion
A major theme of this Herman Bosman story is the importance of tradition, myth and storytelling in the lives of Boer settlers. The narrator begins by asserting that everyone in the Marico knows that juba-berry juice can make a woman fall in love with a man. He then relates a tongue-in-cheek story of how he once “helped” a shy policeman use the juice to win a girl’s heart. The ambiguous ending leaves it unclear whether the potion really worked. Other themes: love, fear of rejection, superstition/magic vs. reality, morality (lack of respect for the girl and her right to decide). More…