In this story by ZZ Packer, an African-American woman completing her first year at Yale University struggles with her identity and sexuality. Thanks to a comment during orientation, she is assigned a year of close-watch and psychiatric counselling. When not attending class she lives as a recluse, spurning friendships until linking up with an overweight white girl. The two form a close relationship with moments of sexual tension, until the friend comes out as a lesbian. The protagonist immediately cuts her off, later regretting the decision and wishing they could reunite. Other themes include misanthropy, loneliness, friendship, race, pretense. More…
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Blues Ain’t No Mockin Bird
Major themes of this story by Toni Cade Bambara are respect for oneself and others, and maintaining one’s dignity when treated disrespectfully. Two white men making a government film on their property anger the matriarch of a poor African-American family. They show disrespect by invading her family’s privacy and filming them without permission, speaking down to her in a condescending way, and ignoring her demand to stop filming. Although clearly enraged, she remains outwardly calm; not so her husband who, sensing her feelings, takes non-violent but decisive action. Other themes include social class, racism, privacy, storytelling. More…
The Five-Forty-Eight
This story by John Cheever puts into perspective the plight of women in the workplace before the terms sexual harassment and unfair dismissal were coined. A disdainful, misogynistic businessman takes advantage of the attentions and weakness of a new secretary, then immediately has her fired. Six months later the woman, who appears mentally unstable, confronts him with a gun and avenges herself by humiliating the vile man. Sadly, although the woman’s actions may have helped her in regaining her self-respect, they seem to have little effect on the man. Themes include alienation/isolation, family, power, narcissism, misogyny, sexuality, revenge, mental illness. More…
Lakshmi’s Adventure
This story from Manoj Das contrasts the innocence of a six-year-old girl with the intolerance of her village priest and the hypocrisy of corrupt temple officials. After dreaming that her deity spoke to her, the girl sneaks into the temple and has a wide-ranging “discussion” with him, including his problems (hearing and too many bananas), hers (arithmetic), and her family’s (an aggressive money-lender). On leaving with two bananas from his shrine, she is chased by an angry mob into a pond in which she catches a fatal fever. Themes include innocence, faith, family, poverty, righteous indignation, guilt and remorse. More…
María Concepción
This story by Katherine Anne Porter exemplifies the proverb Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. María Concepción, a pious Mexican peasant, is shattered when her husband has an affair with a fifteen-year-old neighbour and runs away with her to war. When the two return, the girl heavily pregnant, he expects their marriage to continue as if nothing had happened. Maria makes sure of this by brutally murdering the girl. During the police investigation the community covers up her involvement, perhaps sensing that true justice has been served. Themes include patriarchy, betrayal, revenge, moral vs. legal justice, feminism. More…